I just got back from a New Year's Eve party where my Russian host gave a screening of The Irony of Fate, a movie I had never seen before. Apparently, everybody in Russia watches it every year on New Year's eve, and it is easy to see why. This movie is a terrific romantic comedy that is touching, thoughtful and hilarious.
It is tough to describe the plot without dumping some spoilers, but the main idea is that a young man from Moscow on his wedding day goes to a public bath with some of his friends (he explains several times in the movie that it is a tradition), has a few drinks, and accidentally ends up on a plane to Leningrad. He is so drunk that he does not realize he is in a different city and gets a taxi ride to what he thinks is his own apartment. He goes in and falls asleep only to be discovered by a beautiful woman, who actually lives in the apartment. What happens next has to be seen to be believed.
The plot seems far fetched, but is clearly a satire of the cookie-cutter life that people led in the old Soviet Union--all the apartments were the same I guess, to the point where a guy would not realize that he was not in his own place if sufficiently drunk. From there the movie is surprisingly realistic, and the chemistry between the leads is outstanding. This movie is a great view into Soviet culture, and an awesome evening of entertainment.
It is tough to describe the plot without dumping some spoilers, but the main idea is that a young man from Moscow on his wedding day goes to a public bath with some of his friends (he explains several times in the movie that it is a tradition), has a few drinks, and accidentally ends up on a plane to Leningrad. He is so drunk that he does not realize he is in a different city and gets a taxi ride to what he thinks is his own apartment. He goes in and falls asleep only to be discovered by a beautiful woman, who actually lives in the apartment. What happens next has to be seen to be believed.
The plot seems far fetched, but is clearly a satire of the cookie-cutter life that people led in the old Soviet Union--all the apartments were the same I guess, to the point where a guy would not realize that he was not in his own place if sufficiently drunk. From there the movie is surprisingly realistic, and the chemistry between the leads is outstanding. This movie is a great view into Soviet culture, and an awesome evening of entertainment.