Red Hot

I watched this film a couple years back and enjoyed it very much. Its nothing spectacular but if your looking for a light, sentimental watch Red Hot is a movie for you. Great acting, nice setting and an overall interesting plot.

"Red Hot" is a film that excels in almost every way in realistically portraying the life of a Russian teenager introduced to American culture, and how it affects others around him. It is truly one of the most well-written films I have seen in a long time, and it definitely has a place on my personal Top 50 list. Considering how many films I have seen, it is remarkable that it places even nearly that high. The love story behind it all clicks together with ease, as does the plotline involving music. I can easily relate my own personal experiences to those of Alexi, the main character, excepting the ending sequences (without giving too much away).

Overall, "Red Hot" is a terrific film, and the only place where it suffers is the fact that virtually nobody I know has seen it.

Perhaps it is because the Soviet Union disintegrated several decades ago, perhaps not. But I found myself rather disconnected from "Red Hot" and felt it is a movie which tries hard but doesn't really connect well with audiences...particularly today.

Alexi is a promising music student. He has tons of talent and seems like a shoe-in to a prestigious Soviet music academy. However, he holds a dark secret...he likes rock 'n roll. And, in 1959 in the USSR, this is a very bad thing, as rock is forbidden because it is seen as decadent. Despite this, he buys music from the underground and even forms his own little band...one which cannot play anywhere in public for fear of arrest.

Aside from feeling disconnected from the characters, I also was surprised how very few people in the film sounded Russian. It's made worse because a few DO.

Now I am not saying it's a bad movie...it just didn't connect with me or make an impression on me one way of the other. Perhaps it will mean more to you...I just felt so flat about this story. And, if it's a true story (as the film really implies at the end), then why not say so?

What a great movie! I only hope more people have the chance to see it. I purchased "Red Hot" without knowing what to expect, and very much enjoyed it. The music itself is wonderful and makes the movie great, but the storyline and the acting is also extremely well-done. See it and you won't regret it.

I fell in love with this movie at the start, simply from the concept of Soviet teenagers undertaking an underground rock band in the late '50s. This aspect of the film was particularly well done, especially the musician's early attempts to learn this foreign music. Unfortunately, the political and romantic sub-plots lacked punch and direction; and I found the ending to be unrealistic and devoid of any bite. Excellent watch if you love the early roots of rock 'n roll; otherwise, skip it.