Dear Viewers, such a movie asks for a pretty complex comment, and I apologize for the length in advance to all the readers for that reason. First of all, if made in Hollywood, this movie would become the absolute Oscar winner and total mocking at Russians. Since this movie is made in Russia, it is not mocking at Americans and of course - won't get any Oscar(s). American viewers are being taught that they are the only ones (important) but in reality there are other 6,7 billion people in this world, most of them are at least potential viewers and they all have different perspective, so do the Russians and it is of vital importance. This is why the US audience can't comprehend that this movie is not making fun of a nation or of a race. And this is not because US nation is stupid or narrow minded but studiously indoctrinated and controlled. I had an honor to study film in the US and a privilege to learn the media indoctrination on the US citizens in my classes. Even as a European, before that I had not been close to assume how planned and detailed that actually is. Americans are taught that they can make fun of anyone, but no one can't make fun of them. A person with that character is considered a very bad individual in society of any nation. Then, why the good people act that way? Because they are persuaded as a nation that they are the standard for goodness and archetype for kindness. People under the dictatorship regimes understand with fear that they are being lied and indoctrinated, but in 'democratic' countries - they don't. So, Movie is not racist at all: probably the most positive character in the movie is American. It is a truck driver Ben. He doesn't actually know Danila (like other seldom positive characters do) and has no reason to help him at all but he does and does it a lot. In return, at the end of the movie he gets the audio tapes of Danila's music and he is happy and touched incomparably more than a hockey player brother of his good friend who gets suitcase with million dollars from Danila. And that brother is
Russian by the way who did not even want to give him $20 when he needed even though Danila was in the US just to help him. Russian movie that gives contrast on American with a heart big as Russia who was more Dania's brother than his real brother (who was late to help him because of girls and fun and a similar match to a hockey player) and a Russian hockey star who has no heart at all is not chauvinistic. The only girl he liked and cheated on his girlfriend was black. The Russian word for 'black' is similar to Spanish or Portuguese 'negro' which resembles to the offensive 'nigger' in the US which is leaving Danila puzzled as it would any other non-American citizen who doesn't know who Al Capone was. That way, on contrary, it actually mocks the prejudices in some way. All in all it is a very intelligent social drama that actually laughs at today world we live in and what we all become in it which completely leaves the patterns of modern Hollywood movie and is not understood therefore. Remember the parallel characters in Russia and America like two friend mobsters, hard character taxi drivers and two girls TV stars. If you think of all these characters separately, you will understand that this is the world in which rare people like Danila never fit. And we might call that a 'point' of the movie, as people in the US like to say. Great directing, great acting and great music bring this movie to frame of the masterpiece.Cheers to all of you and enjoy the movie!
Russian by the way who did not even want to give him $20 when he needed even though Danila was in the US just to help him. Russian movie that gives contrast on American with a heart big as Russia who was more Dania's brother than his real brother (who was late to help him because of girls and fun and a similar match to a hockey player) and a Russian hockey star who has no heart at all is not chauvinistic. The only girl he liked and cheated on his girlfriend was black. The Russian word for 'black' is similar to Spanish or Portuguese 'negro' which resembles to the offensive 'nigger' in the US which is leaving Danila puzzled as it would any other non-American citizen who doesn't know who Al Capone was. That way, on contrary, it actually mocks the prejudices in some way. All in all it is a very intelligent social drama that actually laughs at today world we live in and what we all become in it which completely leaves the patterns of modern Hollywood movie and is not understood therefore. Remember the parallel characters in Russia and America like two friend mobsters, hard character taxi drivers and two girls TV stars. If you think of all these characters separately, you will understand that this is the world in which rare people like Danila never fit. And we might call that a 'point' of the movie, as people in the US like to say. Great directing, great acting and great music bring this movie to frame of the masterpiece.Cheers to all of you and enjoy the movie!