True freedom Russia is such a country that if the action takes place not in Moscow, not in St. Petersburg, and not in some other well-known place, of which there are few, then it takes place in some province. And the saddest thing is that it is not in melodramatic films made in the Russian Federation that such an attitude towards small working-class Russian villages and cities is created. It was created by us. In this case, part of the action takes place in the province, part of the action takes place in Moscow. But society rotted there and there.
The main character is a girl from this most unknown village, Masha. She was brilliantly played by Polina Filonenko. This is definitely one of her best roles. It's hard not to love this cute girl. In front of the viewer a lively, extremely honest, caring, sincere person. An aspiring artist. Not able to take the money offered simply. He wants to benefit society, he wants justice in the world. And she is the person that this unfortunate, rotten city needs, who can make it unusual, prestigious, attractive. Painted by her in an unusual way on the windows of sausage “in thoughts” – this is a great advertisement not only for sausage. It's a decoration of the city. It's anti-conformism. This is an attempt to destroy the stereotypical thinking of a society in which everyone imagines himself to be “unusual”, while underscoring everyone. But the conformist boss prevents her from realizing this potential. The potential that exists in every person. Such people destroy him at the root of millions - he survives in units.
“Unexpected Joy” by Alexander Kasatkin is a film about “thieving and approving”. The most obvious example of a “approving” conformist is Masha’s mother. She says the clichéd phrase, “I just want you to be happy.” She sets her up with wealthy and powerful men who “steal” and wants her to marry one of them. Mary, that's disgusting. The life of a mother is a continuous attempt to suck up to a society that does not put her in a penny. It's an attempt that can only break her life.
Another “approval” is Masha’s father, who was expelled from Moscow during the Soviet era. He doesn't think it's social. He says that no one tells him how to live. Meanwhile, he is told how to live ordinary street drunks. He can't drink, but he has to. He's a musician, teaching children to play the Bayana. He easily agrees to alcohol because he is thirsty, although he understands that he cannot. Alas, no one needs him as a person, and at the funeral he will also be drunk and told that he was a good person. That's it.
Masha is a very complex character, with all her directness, despite the fact that, it would seem, any honest person will be just that. She loves her parents even though they do not meet her expectations. She's not trying to hurt anyone. She is not a Christian, though she respects the religion (but as a culture, not as a cult). At the same time, on tests for work, she still shows that her hidden negative part, which could develop further if circumstances arose. And who knows what would have happened if this innocent idea of creating a fake drug ad hadn't ended badly for her? The bottom line is that an honest man in our mean world needs lessons to stay honest. And the lessons can be very bitter. And Masha is a man with his honesty not of this world. whose honesty is not ostentatious, but sincere. Are there many people who are really living? I personally do not dare to name anyone. Therefore, it will not be surprising if for many it will cause not sympathy, but irritation caused by black envy.
Vileness and cynicism are what Masha has to face. She trusts, tries to trust bad people, although deep down she initially feels their duplicity. He tries to find the good in them, to guide them on the right path. But there is something that she is not able to win - you can not help the humiliated in this world, living exclusively by the letter of morality, when you are honest and everyone is lying. Or is it possible? . .
Some people you can guide on the right path. Some are gone. But maybe your best friends will. The main thing is not to give up, as Masha’s mother gave up. Society has deteriorated, but not hopelessly, just as the bitter reproach of Russia by Gogol’s “Dead Souls” is not hopeless. Or maybe it’s not better or worse than it was. But a person should not underestimate himself - if he chooses the path of violence, lies, then much in the world will change for the worse. Everyone affects the world. We cannot predict the consequences of our own small depravities, and the scene with the medicine brilliantly shows us this. You don’t have to push your conscience away if it starts to hurt. We need to listen to her, calm down and not do more in a way that she does not allow. It's easy. It is much harder to convince others to do the same. And it's a job for geniuses. And the potential is in every person, you just need to strive to realize it.
That is human freedom. After watching this movie, you begin to understand it. There is no other freedom, freedom mutually excludes permissiveness, where there is one, there is no other. Permissiveness is always for a narrow group of people, for thieves, for those who deceived someone and made money from it. And at whose expense others are deprived of freedom.
It should be noted that this film is extremely strong in its acting. After all, sometimes in Russia there is a film that can boast of this. Vasily Bochkarev played amazingly. He is mostly known as the Russian voice of Dumbledore - in this film you can see that he is an amazing actor not only in his voice, but also in facial expressions. Very vivid images were created by Alexander Pavlov, Anna Kazuchits, Tatiana Lutayeva.
"Unexpected Joy" is a picture worth seeing. It will be a pleasure to review it with nostalgia in future years. Rarely can one say that about a Russian film made in this era. Although there is no denying that it is unlikely to be revised as massively as we are now reviewing Soviet cinema. There is one big plus of the film, it is also a minus in terms of its potential for popularity - our society is not able to listen to it. Where did you see Mash Likhovtsev? What if you saw what they said? They are there, and we have all hope for them. That they will preserve themselves and help us to take the path of virtue.