Despite the Falling Snow

Found this on Netflix, primarily watched it because of Rebecca Ferguson and Charles Dance. The movie is best described as a quite sedate Cold war espionage / love story in the 60's and the current time and about as far removed from James Bond as possible. The acting is very good as is the direction. Very glad I saw it.

This film tells the story of three soviet spies, who smuggle secrets out to the Americans. They have a complicated love triangle, which is further complicated by one of them defecting to America.

It tells a story that spans two generations and two countries, involving love, idealism, regret, healing and many life and death decisions. The story is not strictly chronological, as it reveals bits of the story when appropriate, creating suspense and making me look forward to see how the plot will unfold. It is a story that tells how tragic societal circumstances tear lives apart, and its effects ripple across time and space. I certainly did not expect "Despite the Falling Snow" to be so gripping and so touching.

Slow and tedious with little action the director/writer (always a big mistake) drags us through an uninteresting story about Russians (speaking in upper class English accents) who don't act like Russians, spying for no apparent high minded reason, and eventually being betrayed, except for one grand sacrifice.

In the film's early sixties beginning, Sasha (Sam Reid) is defecting to the US in a harrowing chase to the safe car. Once inside, his joy turns to anguish as he receives terrible news of others. Flashing forward to just after the fall of the Soviet Union, an older Sasha (Charles Dance) , now a successful American businessman, doesn't like that his niece, Lauren (Rebecca Ferguson) is having a showing of her wonderful artwork in the new Russia. She is also determined to find out some secrets about her family. Now, suddenly, we are back in Communist Russia where beautiful Katya (also Rebecca Ferguson) is casting eyes on the young Sasha, short for Alexander. At a cocktail party, the lovely school principal is meeting the handsome aid to a high ranking Soviet official. But, all is not as it seems. Katya's parents were murdered under Stalin and she was left an orphan. Although she appears to be a true believer, she is secretly transferring Soviet secrets to the Americans, for she hates the communists. In this, her friend and mentor, Misha (Oliver Jackson Cohen) has suggested she "get close" to Sasha for he will have a bounty of secrets on his watch. So, Katya does as told. But, what starts as espionage ends in Katya falling hard for the personable and handsome Misha, as he also loves her, and marrying him, much to Misha's dismay. Now, lives are in danger and defection may be the only option. How will it end? Then, too, will Lauren discover these happenings as well? This fine film has sumptuous visuals of Moscow amid the snow and a great cast. Add on wonderful costumes, an intriguing, time-hopping story and a polished direction and here is a film many refined movie fans will love. Are you one of these?

Just watched this movie having previously read the plot online and been semi-excited to watch it. On the whole however I have to say I was left a little bit disappointed.

I've always been fascinated by life in the Soviet Union both during and after WWII and both during the Stalin and post-Stalin worlds, so anything set then is of interest to me.

Things I struggled with however were in the 90's part of the film, who Rebecca Ferguson was playing (I have since gather it's the main character's niece, but as you never see his sister this didn't make much sense) and secondly the lesbian-love angle between the niece the and journalist seems very unlikely to me to be credible. That in particular seemed more of an attempt to place modern values upon the past which is never something I am keen on in a movie.

The plot itself jumps around a bit through the timelines but you can kind of follow it and the ending I thought made the whole thing semi-worthwhile. It's just the middle section of the movie I thought was a bit weak.

On the whole though I think it's worth a watch, but wasn't one where I would ever be likely to want to watch it again.