Good idea lost in the noise

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

for the admirable portrait of freedom. for the young Nikita Mihalkov, doing a great role. for the touching portrait of Mosow, youth, friendship, love and innocence. for the status of slice from a period spirit. because it is a beautiful film, remembering the air of a time, the talent of young actors, the force of a good director, for the delicacy and realism of a world, almost magic, surely - unique. a film about a city and about a splendid age. that is all. and it is enough. to see it time by time.

Film critics and viewers familiar with Russian cinema know about Nikita Mikhalkov as the brother of director Andrei Konchalobsky who has directed successful films in Hollywood, a leading director who has brought tremendous success to Russia as a major film making nation. He has also been noticed as a remarkable actor in films made by himself and other directors. Walking the Streets of Moscow is one of his early films with a youthful appearance. It was directed by Georgiy Daneliya who has an amazing of repertoire of charming comedy films. For this film, Daneliya chose to film Russian realities in a light manner. For example: serious issue of war has been briefly discussed in order to concentrate more on things which have an everlasting effect on youngsters. As there are many good views of Moscow, Walking the Streets of Moscow appears as an unofficial tourist guide of Russian capital. Russian youngsters of the sixties emerge as the true heroes of this film as one day in the life of a young soviet citizen who has come to Moscow is meticulously portrayed in order to reveal that Russian youth too was interested in flirting, learning English and buying LP records of classical music.

The film is a well-executed attempt to record the transient youth impressions of the aging generation of the Soviet baby-boomers. Or rather the inevitable fantasising about them 20+ years later. Not that it makes it any different from any other generation which has ever lived.Just as in the end of a news hour, there's a 60 second feel-good segment, in every generation, there's its own feel-good story. The scrutiny of how realistic those dreamy fantasies of the past are is beyond the point. Relaxing in the backyard's arm chair with a glass of well-deserved glass of wine reflecting on the past is of course a part of the drill.In the end, this patriotic narcissistic drivel could have been "Ya shagayu po Berlin (1964)" or "Ya shagayu po Hiroshima (1964)" full of love, spring vitality and romanticism. Which is of course fine as the life obviously goes on.And perhaps it's fine. It depends on the viewer's outlook. But for some, the film will be clearly interspersed with visual and conceptual references aggrandising and beautifying what the country has gone through in the preceding 50 years. A sort of the Soviet Union of Amnesia that is. A common propaganda "feel-good" trick in a wide range of other tricks in the toolboxes of various Ministries of Truth across the globe.One thing is for sure: this is a movie done by the power which won the war, so history is written accordingly. Small but curious detail.

There is some kind of hackneyed opinion in the world that Moscow is a city of almost everlasting winter. Unfortunately there is a lot of truth in such words: we live in cold and rather dark city for 5-6 months a year. But if you'll come to Moscow in May or maybe in last April, it is most likely that you'd fall in love with this city. The film of G.Danelia brings you this delightful and intoxicating scent of spring Moscow, a fresh and brilliant scent of youth, beauty and first love.I think it is a best role of well-known Russian actor and director Nikita Mikhalkov - and it's of no doubt the most sincere work of him. And I also should say about sparkling supporting role of Vladimir Basov - his clever Floor polisher is really wonder :))