The plot of the film “On the Sunny Side of the Street” is based on the novel of the same name. This is a story about the time of the siege of Leningrad and the fate of its young resident Katya. While in the occupied territory, she died of starvation. But after the heroine is evacuated to Tashkent, she manifests a capacity for scams, which she begins to engage in local markets. Soon she has a daughter Vera, who does not even know about her mother’s business. Will she follow in her footsteps?
The main character of the series is the ambulance doctor Oleg Samarin. Friends and colleagues call him Samara. A rebel and an upstart, he argues with more
The main character of the series is the ambulance doctor Oleg Samarin. Friends and colleagues call him Samara. A rebel and an upstart, he argues with his superiors, makes jokes about colleagues and patients, and breaks all the rules and regulations! But Samara gets away with everything. He is a surgeon from God! Every day Samara and his team (paramedic Lena and driver Mikhalych) help people. Oleg’s patients are a motley gallery of characters and destinies, and sometimes Samara has to treat not only their bodies, but also their souls. But Samara himself has something to hide... Samara has a secret, the disclosure of which threatens him with the loss of his favorite job. But, as they say, everything secret comes out someday... close
Tyazhely Pesok / Heavy Sand follows an Ukrainian Jewish family over 30 years against the backdrop of dramatic events in the Soviet Union in the first more
Tyazhely Pesok / Heavy Sand follows an Ukrainian Jewish family over 30 years against the backdrop of dramatic events in the Soviet Union in the first half of the 20th century: WWI, the Bolshevik revolution, the pogroms in Ukraine, the Stalinist repression, WWII and Nazi occupation, the ghetto and annihilation.
It is ultimately a story about human nature, about the triumph of love against all odds (e.g. despite the seemingly incompatible backgrounds of the two lovers, Rakhil and Jakov) and of its resilience over time and circumstance. It is about family bonds, about human altruism, dignity and courage. Also about cruelty and the holocaust, a tribute to the Jews that suffered and to the non-Jews who were willing to risk their own lives to help them.
The acting is generally outstanding, as is the filming and the music. Attention to historical detail is exquisite (clothes, decors, culture…).
The script departs substantially from Rybakov's novel, on which the film is based, bringing in some different characters and scenes. I guess this was partly unavoidable, because of the novel's narrative approach, compared to the need for dialogues in the film, which had to be made up.
The series is, in my opinion, not without flaws. It combines some truly moving scenes with others that left me wondering what the point was, and thinking that 16 episodes were not needed after all. Although the characters' complexity rings true, some of the scenes seem implausible. Plus the 2 main characters hardly age throughout the film, everybody speaks Russian everywhere… While the film captures much of the spirit of the book, it is weaker in many respects, including in its portrayal of Jewish suffering. Needless to say, I preferred the book, but this is almost always so. Provided you are not looking for 100% accurate history, nor 100% Rybakov's novel you may, like me, be left with a very positive overall impression.
(From IMDB: juan_palmero65@yahoo.fr) close
Moscow. The year is 1925. Professor Gradov, his wife Mary, their children Nina, Nikita and Kirill, and long-term friends at home, relatives from Moscow more
Moscow. The year is 1925. Professor Gradov, his wife Mary, their children Nina, Nikita and Kirill, and long-term friends at home, relatives from Moscow and Tiflis, and those who have yet to enter this family and history, are all young and full of hope. Many hopes will come true, but the history of the country in the 30-50s left no chance for a cloudless life for anyone... close
At a stop on demand (that is, where the bus stops, only if you really ask), on the outskirts of an ordinary Russian city, a humble man named Smirnov stands more
At a stop on demand (that is, where the bus stops, only if you really ask), on the outskirts of an ordinary Russian city, a humble man named Smirnov stands in the rain. I decided to go to my mother after a slight quarrel with my wife Natasha. close
In the center of the series "Lavrovoi Method" - police captain Ekaterina Lavrova Svetlana Khodchenkova ). Smart and beautiful, the daughter of a high-ranking more
In the center of the series "Lavrovoi Method" - police captain Ekaterina Lavrova Svetlana Khodchenkova ). Smart and beautiful, the daughter of a high-ranking employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, an excellent student with a red diploma who graduated from a prestigious university - Lavrov simply had to make a great career. In which she was helped by iron logic, a sharp mind and a good sense of humor.
However, without explaining the reasons, Lavrova unexpectedly leaves the department and goes to the teachers of the University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Where at its full disposal is a group of 7 cadets. From now on, Lavrova and her pupils will be in the midst of the most unexpected cases - looking for royal treasures, maniacs and smugglers - which could be more fascinating. Moreover, in the investigations, an invaluable help will be provided by the Lavrova method based on psychology, nonlinear psychology and observation. close