writeagain As if there is nothing more interesting in today's Russia except for marital problems of successful muscovites, more and more directors turn themselves to the Soviet era. Indeed, Russian "back in the future" movies happen to be quite amusing set against the latest shallow "real-life dramas". "Park Sovetskogo Perioda" is stuffed with aged Soviet actors, Soviet tunes, clothes and allusions, ready to burst like a cabbage roll, swimming in Red Soviet Sauce. Everything is predictable in absence of a strong story line. There are some sarcastic pearls too, strewn across the story but it's a far cry from the dark moody atmosphere of "Zerkalo dlya geroya" (1987) that started the trend 20 years ago. The message is simple: Soviet style might be cute but not for those who inhabit the totalitarian reserve. So, you're happy to live in the democratic society with all its lies and crimes. Dude, your personal problems are just ridiculous as long as you're not a Gulag prisoner. "My iz budushchego"(2008) is another fine and newer example of a reconstructionist movie. There's way more action in there (World War II), so you might want to give it a try.

Alexei Kalinov This is labeled as a comedy, but it was not a comedy.The main character(the protagonist) is a wealthy successful Russian TV star(a "New Russian"). His father wants him to visit a new "high tech amusement park" that is based on life in the Soviet Union. His father is not a "New Russian", and is always complaining about work and life in modern day Russia. I got the feeling this like many recent movies in Russia was written by the same kind of person as the main character. None of the complaints made by the father in the movie are false, but they are depicted as being not serious.Next the movie moves to this "high tech" facility where the park is located and we get some nice shots of the city of Sochi on the Black Sea.We meet the antagonist(played by popular Russian actor Mikhail Yefremov), a "Soviet apologist" in the 2nd part of the movie.There is nothing much to describe in the first part of the movie. The USSR setting seems to be of the 1930's-1950's period, an extremely exaggerated version that makes it seem like a dream, an unrealistic "Utopia". The movie works by presenting extremes of 2 sides, and there is a barrage of symbolism and foreshadowing. For example all the workers are "trapped" in the park and can't leave or talk to "tourists". The "New Russian" writers here were trying depict the USSR as an illusion, a prison of the working class, that is the hidden message of the movie and I saw it coming a kilometer away. The main character(the "New Russian") is depicted as the only "enlightened" person in the whole park. He loves this attractive brunette that works in the park but she "can't leave".The "struggle" with authority becomes that main theme of the second part of the movie. The lone hero(the champion of "Western Reforms" no doubt) stands up against the "Stalinist" employees who start to torture him and abuse his beloved. This is where the authors were going, this is why the first part is unrealistic and I should say so is the second part.The character played by Mikhail Yefremov gives good reasons why he prefers the USSR. Several examples: good affordable health-care, education available to everyone, the people were secure and had jobs. The writers would have us believe we should sacrifice everything we had for some "Western Materialism". Oh yes they also throw in some nudity as a way to stand against Soviet "censorship", never mind that it was relaxed by the time the 1980's arrived.The only reason I gave it a 3 was for its good quality editing, aesthetic setting, and special effects. The message was pure garbage to anyone who has friends and relatives working as prostitutes to survive in this "wonderful new Western Materialistic Russia". The USSR was not all "milk and honey" but neither is Russia today, trying to bury our history in filth is counter-productive.