ron-miller2091 This movie was insipid and boring and never should have been made. (The two stars I have it are for the score.) My guess is that it never had a theatrical release and went straight to cable. To say that the script and plot were amateurish is an insult to amateurs. One reviewer wrote that it would be understandable for Russians to believe that Americans are stupid after watching it, but, sorry, this was a British/Canadian production, NOT American. I've great fondness and admiration for English movies and TV, but I'll bet they wish they could get this one out of circulation. No matter; no one will ever remember this pathetic drivel, anyway

Sandra Milner Now that the Iron Curtain has collapsed and we have access to not only to modern Russia and former Soviet and Bloc countries, but we can now uncover stuff that took place in all those years without any restrictions. Historians even have access to restricted stuff as governments have made a lot of it public.This film looks like an 80's film that imagines how things were like in the Soviet Union. There are many things about it that show a Western Cold War perspective of life in the Soviet Union, as well as politics and such. It is not well researched, if at all. The same director has a story about two women in a relationship in the apartheid era and another film about a Muslim woman who cancels her wedding because she's in love with another woman. These are her three feature films. I haven't seen the other two, but seeing how clichéd and un-researched Despite the Falling Snow is, I doubt that she spent a lot of time researching Islamic society or apartheid South Africa.I say "director" when people expect me to say writer, but Sarif is the writer for all her films. This lack of outside input doesn't help.So many directors spend endless hours researching life in their own country in the 90's and 80's, times when they were around. They put the time and effort to research the language, clothing, technology, etc. This film doesn't waste any time on that. "It's just in the Soviet Union, accept it. It's not accurate, move on. Just look at Ferguson. Isn't she pretty?"If some actors are type-cast, then Samim is type-directing. Cheesy love story, history as a back drop rather than a setting, very beautiful actresses to distract from the plot. In almost every film that's what people talk about, good and bad reviews, how beautiful the actresses are.Most people that watch films want a bit more than eye candy.

thenightmaremanager When you're cooking and you use ingredients that are 4/10 in quality/freshness, make a 4/10 recipe and put 4/10 effort to details, temperature, timing, etc, you get something that is at best 4/10. You don't need to ask the taster "How would you rate this?" because as a chef, what do you expect?This is not a commentary on the mediocre Russian cuisine using Soviet era ingredients, but is this production company under embargo or something that they have to do with rations? Could they not have a better script?Oh wait, the director decided to write her own script, not ask anyone for assistance, and direct everything herself. If your script is good, find a good director to make it. If you're a good director, find a good script to make into film. Very, very few people can do both. The problem is many, many people think they can.The problem is that a weak director could ruin their own top-notch self- written script with mediocre direction. And a poor self-written script could ruin a great director's film by not getting any scrutiny or passing any filters from idea to finished film.Let's talk positives first. The soundtrack: 10/10. This is perhaps the best score I've ever heard in my life.Rebecca Ferguson is one of the most beautiful women to grace the screen and she's exceptionally talented, but eye-candy and great soundtrack do not a great film make.The other actors were good for what it's worth.The script, the story, the dialogues, the whole thing is a huge let down. I was looking forward to this film and I can't recommend it to anyone.It's just not worth watching.Buy the soundtrack though.

venisefillies I am surprised this film has an average rating since the acting is great. Rebecca Ferguson is her beautiful talented self again and her versatility is once again displayed. Sharif did a great job casting and directing her as lead. I want to thank Shamim for the little but breathtaking scenes between Rebecca and Antje it was fireworks. I mean who can resist such striking blue eyes. I would've liked more scenes between them because their characters are not as developed although understandably so of course. I like films about war and I am a sucker for romance so I get two things I like in one film. Antje's eyes will get her anywhere and of course her talent and if you're a fan of Rebecca and Sharif then you have to see this film. Loved it so much.