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'Those Old Love Letters' is a love film as one can guess by its title, but the film is not only about love between its protagonists, but also love towards the music, and filmmaker's love towards the musician. Raimond Valgre was talented and popular singer/songwriter whose best years unfortunately fell into the era of World War II and Stalin's regime, and finally cut short way too early. It is a tragic story how a simple man full of dreams and talent is rolled over by war and politics.

Technically the low budget of the film shines through, and occasionally the film looks like made for TV production. The script is strong though and not banally corny, but rather sweet and compassionate with enough sympathy towards all the main characters. Little bits of nice dry Estonian humor adds more charm to the film.

I really found the black and white image usage in 'present day' and color in flashback interesting. This might have to something with the most of the story being told in flashbacks, but I think the black and white is also great metaphor for coldness and bleakness of Stalin era when the 'present day' events in the movie happened.

This is an Estonian film chronicling the life of beloved Estonian composer Raimond Valgre between 1939 and 1949-a decade marked by political upheaval and personal tragedy. Directed by Mati Põldre, the film blends romance, history, and music into a heartfelt narrative about a man whose soulful songs outlived the chaos that destroyed his dreams.

Valgre, portrayed with subtle vulnerability by Rain Simmul, is caught between great loves-Alice, Niina, and Eva-and greater historical forces: the collapse of Estonia's independence, the horrors of WWII, and the iron grip of Stalinism. His story is one of aching beauty, where the pursuit of love and artistic expression is constantly thwarted by betrayal, war, and repression.

Despite a modest budget, the film's strength lies in its sincerity and detail. The screenplay-crafted over many years by the Põldres and Aleksandr Borodjanski-shows genuine empathy for its characters. The use of black-and-white to depict the Stalinist present versus vibrant colour in the flashbacks adds a powerful visual metaphor for a lost golden age.

Musically, this film excels. Valgre's timeless melodies serve as the emotional backbone of the film, evoking nostalgia and reinforcing his legacy as Estonia's own Cole Porter. While some scenes may feel odd or awkward, especially involving intimacy, they do not detract from the film's overarching impact.

Premiering internationally at ESTO '92 and later recognised at the Berlin Film Festival, the film's reception proves its emotional universality. This film is a moving tribute to a composer whose music spoke of love, even when his own life offered so little of it.

You could very well compare Raimond Valgre, who was a famous Estonian songwriter during the 30s and 40s, to the American songwriter, Cole Porter. While one wrote popular songs (Valgre) and the other wrote both popular songs and musicals (Porter), they were both alive during the same time and probably had some of the same experiences.

I don't understand Estonian, but it is easy to see that this film is a love story (Just like De-Lovely was; except Valgre liked women and Porter liked both men and women). It is also easy to tell the time period, especially due to the clothes and the music.

The movie is quite good, but it does have its weird parts, especially during a couple of scenes regarding sex.

I would recommend this DVD to anyone, especially those who like jazz and love foreign movies and don't care whether they understand what's being said or not.