Simply A Masterpiece

It's funny watching the elements come together in this complicated scam. On one hand, the set-up isn't quite as complex as it seems, but there's an easy sense of fun in every exchange.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

My wife and I used to watch the original every new year but gave up a couple of years ago. Watching of film evry new year became a tradition in Russia many years ago as it put people in the party mood because of it's New Year's storyline and romance factor.We found the sequel recently and have just finished watching it (again) and have to say this is absolutely brilliant. We lent it to some friends a few weeks ago and they enjoyed it so much that they went and bought their own copy which even their friends have borrowed. It's great fun, great laughs and great irony. We consider it deservedly gets a 10/10 in our family's books.

This production (I cannot bring myself to call it a movie, because it isn't) pretends to be a sequel to the beloved New Year romantic comedy the Irony of Fate (Ирония Судьбы). In fact, it is nothing more than a shameless attempt to cash in on the huge and well-deserved popularity of the original, which remains one of the favorites of the Russian-language audiences even after more than 30 years. This "sequel" brings together most of the original actors who appeared in the Eldar Ryazanov's masterpiece. As you might well imagine, the original actors are by now in their seventies - which is by no means a bar to being a good actor (just take a pick at any of Jack Lemmon's late movies!), provided that you do not try to play the same role you had 30 years ago. Unfortunately, the movie director Timur Bekmambetov (Тимур Бекмамбетов) completely lacks the ability to capitalize on the strengths of his actors; he is also clueless in the basic principles of scene composition, and is incapable of pulling off the most basic of physical jokes. In addition to that, the script lacks a coherent plot or basic believability. The production quality is also terrible - I've seen some home movies with more professional scene lighting, for example. Altogether, this is an extremely bad movie - avoid it at all costs, even if you have to pay to be let off watching it.

I did not expect much of this film, because it is really difficult to make a good sequel. And indeed it turned out to be a poor copy of one of my favourite films "Ironiya sudby", which still remains one of the most popular New Year films on the territory of ex-USSR. The original plot was exploited, and no novelty was added. I bet not a single phrase or dialogue will become so recognizable, as some phrases from the first movie. Instead of witty pretty characters from the old film we meet old tired people. The younger generation of actors, which appeared in the sequel, lacks the charm due to which the success of the first movie could be attributed. I even did not enjoy Konstantin Khabensky, who remains one of my favourites in the modern Russian movies. Suddenly I did not recognize the lively young guy from "Uboynaya sila" whom I admired so much. My rating – 2/10. I don't recommend this movie to any fan of "Ironiya sudby". It is rather worth to watch the film from 1975 one more time, since even the knowledge of its end won't spoil the usual amusement.

If there is one lesson that could be drawn from this movie, it is this: do not touch old Soviet classics! Does anyone really think it is possible to produce a sequel to a movie thirty years after it came out on the screens? Since the old "Irony of Fate" was made, it has become one of the most venerated Soviet cultural icons. And icons are better be left alone. I'm not sure if any director would be able to make a successful "Irony of Fate-2", but what we are offered by Bekmambetov is at best a third-rate production. Bekmambetov may be a decent thriller-movie director (see his Daywatch and Nightwatch) but he is extremely weak as a maker of romantic comedies, which is what "Irony-2" was purported to be. The plot details are not developed at all (thus, we do not learn anything about Kostya's or Nadya's occupations or previous lives); the advertising of Toyota Camry is too obvious not to be noticed; and the acting, with the possible exception of Bezrukov (Irakliy) is one-dimensional and unconvincing. The old actors (Myagkov, Brylska) look tired, lost and emotionless, as if trying to understand what it is really they are doing in this movie. Special effects (such as the one with the Aurora) may be fitting in a fantasy thriller but they look out of place in a romantic comedy. In short, this is another proof that there is little worth seeing in post-Soviet cinema.