Konterr Brilliant and touching

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Andres Laiapea "The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!" is a romantic comedy set in the 1970's in an urban landscape in Soviet Russia. Parents need to know that it is not very suitable for children. Many characters drink a lot of alcohol and get drunk, some smoke. There are references to extramarital relationships. There is no sexually explicit content. However, you can see some kissing scenes and stuff like that. It is arguably one of the greatest works of director Eldar Ryazanov. The acting is also good. And the songs are the best, of course. Leonid Brezhnev, the leader of the Soviet Union, was a fan. He even referred to this movie in his report at the XXVI Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. But it is not a piece of soviet propaganda. On the contrary, this movie is like an anecdote from the Brezhnev era.

hte-trasme Apparently this film has been shown every year in Russia for decades, and people there know it by heart. This was my first time seeing it -- without that cultural hyperfamiliarity -- and it was very easy to see why it's so popular -- it's hugely entertaining. It's about three hours long, but hardly felt like an hour. There's a perfect absurdist farce premise of a man who ends up in an identical prefab apartment with his own at the same address (which also, it has been pointed out, could easily be taken as a comment on the sameness of Soviet architecture of the time). That farce plays out fantastically but then, after the clock has struck 12 on New Year's Eve with our protagonist in the wrong city, we keep following these people and become invested in serious hopelessness of their situations. In essence, it takes what could be a good basic bedroom farce, arms it with legitimately likable, interesting characters we want to follow, and more or less keeps them in a room overnight. The small cast is a blessing here. It's a winning formula of goofiness crossed with seriousness. The jealous Ippolit, for instance, looks ridiculous showering drunkenly with his clothes on, but when he goes out that way into the freezing night saying that perhaps he wants to catch cold and die the feeling of seriousness dissipates. Overall, incredibly likable and entertaining. The music is good, and the theme of not boxing life in with rules and accepting happy accidents is welcome. If it's phenomenally popular, I'd say it seems to be rightly so.

rfed It's strange that I haven't found any comments from Russia or ex-USSR countries. This movie is one of the best Ryazanov's works, although all his films are great and loved very much in Russia. This one has became a traditional part of TV program on the New Year's Eve. Every year on the 31st of December it's on this or that channel. The people would watch it over and over with pleasure and unceasing affection. A lot of phrases and scenes are learned by heart, some of them became aphorisms.The basis of the plot is rather funny. One guy gets drunk together with his friends and by mistake takes his friend's flight to Leningrad. It turns out then, that in Leningrad there exists the same address as his in Moscow. Moreover, the tenements are identical and even the key fits to the apartment door. Here starts the real fun, then the drama emerges out of the comedy, gradually growing and replacing the fun. Perhaps, it's the perfect and fine balance between comedy and drama, and the accurate development and transformation of one genre into the other which wouldn't make one bored with this movie and would make him wish to watch it again and again.I would recommend to non-russian spectators other Ryazanov's movies as well and also those of Gaidai made in 60's and 70's.

amlover Okay, so I'm in love with Andrey Mjagkov, but all that aside, you've simply gotta love this movie. It's funny, it makes you feel good. Somewhat far-fetched plot (I won't give it away, just go watch it), but the acting is great, the directing is great, the music is great, the singing is great. Unlike most Russian movies it does not leave you with a sense of impending doom and in a state of utter depression. It will leave you with a whole new view of Russian film and Russian life (that's if you're not Russian and don't already have a very unique view). Watch it! Trust me!