Sadly Over-hyped

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

for Vakhtang Kikabidze performance, one of Soviet cinema legends . for the music. and for the game with national identity details. nostalgic, fresh, warm, it is testimony of a time and proof of a kind of freedom. show of small things, picture of cultural misunderstandings, story of honest man in big city, it is not exactly a comedy but bitter reflection to sense of desire. moral lesson, like many other films of period, it is, today, nostalgic view of self - definition. beautiful images of Georgia, streets of Moscow, silhouette of churches, meetings and troubles, the secondary characters of village, the people of city, the cow in air and the adorable Hachikian in Frunzik Mkrchyan are parts of touching entertainment. In this conditions, Mimino remains a bright face of a period , poetic, childish and really precious.

i think that this movie is all about humanity and deep friendship - even the in harsh reality of former soviet union.and let me finish this comment by telling all of U: "Love is only what you need" I just have been notified that there no enough lines in my comments - so it goes like this:this film is among the very best that ever left soviet movie forge. and the movie director is no slouch.and the fact that i am a Georgian national like he is adds to my pride of being the Georgian.and i love u all

What can I say about this film? I'm a fan of Russian and old USSR cinema, speak Russian, and have traveled in Russia and central Asia - so I am fairly well versed in the Slavophile mythology of the Russian soul. This is a film that sort of plays to that, and I am sure by writing a critical review of this movie, I will be accused of not understanding. This film attempts to tell a story about Mimino, a Georgian pilot who travels to the big city with dreams of being an international pilot, only to learn that there is "no place like home". Quaint? Yes. Interesting? Not really.There are of course many stereotypes in this film as well. Frunzik Mkrtchyan as Rubik Khachikyan is quite funny, but I doubt this character would endear himself to many Armenians.The Georgian landscapes are attractive and interesting, there is lots of gentle humor in the movie ... but overall this is a film only worth watching if you have an interest in Russian films.

This is one of the BEST and MOST POPULAR Soviet Comedies ever! In all former Soviet states this film is still loved and admired, so It's pity that non-Russian speaking audience will never get even 10% of its jokes and humor. There are several reasons for this: 1) To understand this (and actually all soviet film) one must not just know the Russian language - one must know the Soviet system, soviet culture, lifestyle. 2) Those who think that Soviet UNION=Russia are very wrong, and here the fact that USSR consisted of 15 different states (and hundreds of nations actually) has a great importance - as the story concerns the "adventures" of two southerners (a Georgian and an Armenian) in Moscow (that was both capital of Russia and USSR)-great deal of humor comes from their accents, as well as cultural differences. The director himself is Georgian who mostly lives in Russia and most of his films concern Russia (almost all of them are very popular in Russia) Only in one film (Ne Goryui!- that is equally as good as this one though very different) the action takes place in Georgia. (other much recommended films are Kin-Dza-Dza and Autumn Marathon..) 3) It is very important to know certain cultural confrontation that existed in USSR and still exists in Russia - Caucasians (Russia is the only v\country where this term means "black, dark person" - i.e. Georgians, Armenians, Azeri, and others) are rather unpopular in Russia (Russian nationalists consider them second main enemy after Jews, now due to Chechnya war Caucasian people became the most unpopular in Russia ); Characters of Georgian And Armenian visually fit the most standard stereotypes that exist in Russia (- big flat hat, moustaches, etc.) Armenians and Georgians for thousands of years had rivalry and competition, each trying to prove that it is older, better, and more cultural than the other;AND DESPUITE ALL THIESE Danelia MADE a film where there is no national problem - there are good people and not so good people, friendship and understanding between all these nations win - and therefore the film has a great political-subtexts - though it is delivered so lightly and tenderly that nobody thinks to call it propaganda or political film- its just a CLASSIC SOVIET COMEDY, delicious and funny, not that slapstick-cake-into-face staff, but film about real people, real feelings and real values.