Krivoe zerkalo dushi

All great television melodramas start with a dutiful, innocent, beautiful woman being betrayed by those closest to her due to greed, jealousy, or both. This story is no different. Olga is a sweet soul who happens to be born into a horrible family. She studies diligently in the capital but makes time to see her mother and grandmother, whom she adores. This is how she meets the hero of our story. The "hero" of the story is Dmitri, an up-and-coming businessman who is perfectly comfortable marrying into wealth and networking in brothels. He also doesn't require faithfulness from his life partners; marriage is just another business deal. Olya's beauty immediately ensnares Dima, and he becomes her knight in shining armor once he learns of his role in the night, which changes her life. This miniseries may not be Hallmark, but it reads like an old Mills & Boon story! Yay for the happy ending.

This is my favorite type of guilty pleasure watching, especially for a lazy weekend. Olya makes the best of a horrible situation and remains committed to her education and career. I was shocked at the prison scene but felt like it added to the "authenticity" of the woman in danger scenario. Watching Dima change from a jaded businessman into a proud teddy bear-buying Papa had me tearing up. I wish the old lovers had reunited, and I wasn't pleased with the redemption of her parents but understood it's how these things go. I would have given this show ten stars if something awful happened to the mayor's jerky son, but I will have to settle for him disappearing. I recommend this show to anyone looking for a great Russian/Ukrainian melodrama starter.

This is a very watchable mini drama. There is no over-acting, no over-sweet scenes - just a beautiful story that keeps you interested, anxious, a bit sad and comes with a fairytale ending. There are a few loopholes in the story but the acting is good and overall plot is fresh. This is better than any Hallmark movies I've seen.