Obychnaya zhenshchina

"An Ordinary Woman" by Boris Khlebnikov and Nataliya Meshchaninova is one of the best Russian TV shows of the last decade. The double life of the never depressing main character of the film, saturated with a series of unpredictable and tragic events, as a reflection of the double standards of today's life in Russia. Benefit of the wonderful actress Anna Mikhalkova.

This is a tragedy. Tragedy in each fragment. You look without stopping, everything is interesting in the plot.

I like it is not from usa.+1 for "real life" looks.

As some black humor.

Too slow at times.

Cynical look at Russian negotiations under the table .

Decent cast.

Very recommended!

I'm thoroughly enjoying this series and with two episodes to go, I'll hate to see it end. It's about as black as a black comedy can be but it very, very funny... laugh out loud funny!

The acting is superb, not one weak actor / actress in the cast & the storyline keeps you guessing how each scene will resolve.

Highly recommended IMHO.

I've never been into series a great deal, and now I know why: it just eats up too much ( life) time. Even if one is not that hugely impressed it does draw you in and you want to see how it's ending.

About this one in particular: I would describe it a typical kind of tv fodder. The most interesting aspect about it is that it seems to describe life in nowaday russia fairly accurately - someone is always counting huge wads of cash and there seems to be corruption just about everywhere. I am surprised that they got away with this - censorshipwise. It's not overly violent and there is - surprising for it beeing about a madam running a ring of prostitutes - not a blink of nudity. Maybe that' s why.

The acting I found generally pretty excellent and it makes a nice change to have women pulling the main strings. From this aspect it is almost something of a feminist sort of film.