I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

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.

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.

Most interesting thing, during shooting, Tagawa became Orthodox Christian. He is baptized in Russian Orthodox Church.

The movie is done to the point. It has quite a few impressive details and connotations, which probably will go unnoticed to the regular viewer at first sight. Like a flash of lightning behind Nelyubin. Or Nikolay's refusal to fight off the two policemen. Or the hunter's inability to shoot the bear. Or the glance in the water. Or the ending scene fading into white. It can be quite a considerable list of such happenings. No surprise, though, while a real Orthodox priest takes part in this one.A very good example of Russian cinema. Still, one complaint from my side: the music (especially at the very end) should have been different. But this is my taste - would prefer mild choir music in this instance or even just the sounds of nature (birds singing for example). Grebenshchikov's score was great in the famous and groovy "Black Rose...", but not here. Here it sounds cheap, sorry.Thank you for attention. A 9 out of 10.