bilqreto I take this film as a symbol of the great Russian film factory. I am a half-Russian so I am one of those who can't imagine the New Year's Eve without watching this movie.This is maybe the reason I can't say much about actor's performance, plot quality etc. - I just don't look at this film from this point of view. Of course it's one successfully made movie, otherwise it wouldn't be so adored by the Russian-speaking public.What I can say for sure is that this is a must-see for everyone who wants to discover for himself why this movie has won such public attention and continues being played each and every 31-st of December. It fulfills all the aspects of a quality-time film: romance, comedy, catching storyline and most importantly - unique atmosphere.No wonder they filmed a remake 30 years after the appearance of the original which continues the well-known story in a wonderful day starring many of the main actors that apperared 30 years ago.Be sure to have at least a look at it. It will do everything else for you.

Witold Brostow Let me sort out what in this film is Soviet, what is Russian, and what is universal.Soviet is the background, including the cartoon which precedes the appearance of humans: a man with a tube kills any architect originality, even so innocent as balconies. As a consequence, the same buildings are put up in Artica as well in a southern desert before surprised camels. The Soviet reality is the basis of the plot with identical buildings in different cities. Also the New Year tree rather that the Christmas tree is Soviet. However, as the story unfolds, the Soviet reality recedes into little visible background. An exception is a line in one of the songs: if you do not have a dog, your neighbor cannot poison your dog.Russian are the beautiful poems which are made into songs. There are also some views of Leningrad, but actually only a few, with the St. Isaac Basilica shown several times from different sides.The cast and the technical crew are largely Russian, but not only. Obviously Armenian, Georgian and Jewish names are listed. The actress playing Nadya has been imported from Central Europe; Barbara Brylska is a Polish actress, well known also from a number of other movies made in Poland as well as in other countries. The appeal of the film is truly universal ! This is the reason why viewers from countries so disparate as Latvia, Ukraine and China like this film so much (not to mention Texans). The love-jealousy quadrangle, two mothers, friends of Zhenya and colleagues of Nadya could have lived in many countries around the world. Even the story of the same address could have happened for instance in Germany where practically every city and town has Bahnhofstrasse and Poststrasse. Finally, the atmosphere of this film is unique - a word which very rarely can be used discussing films. We have seen other films directed by Eldar Ryazanov, all of them good, but none comparable to this one. All that takes place in the film is plausible, it could have happened in reality. At the same time, there is the feeling of poetic, unreal and sublime. These two basically opposed reactions to the film coexist somehow in the viewer; this simply does not happen in movies, films directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski excepted. Irony of the Fate is a truly wonderful film, alive 30 years after being created; it will enchant future generations as well.

spaceblossom I love this movie. I watch it every 31st December with my family, and when I'm feeling down, I will put it on (even in the Summer, despite the movie being about New Year's Eve) and it'll instantly make me feel better.The film, however, most probably, wouldn't be understood by the average foreigner. Let me explain..Zhenya and his friends have a tradition of going to the "banya" (like a public bathing place) as a tradition every 31st of December. The celebration of Zhenya's engagement leads to all four men getting completely drunk. The dilemma, however, is that one of these men has to fly to Leningrad to celebrate New Year's Eve with his wife. By mistake, they send Zhenya to Leningrad. Being completely blacked out, Zhenya does not remember the flight or him getting a taxi when already in Leningrad. Coinsidently, the street on which Zhenya lives in Moscow exists in Leningrad as well. Zhenya, barely able to walk, enters the apartment building and makes his way up onto the 4th floor and opens the door with his key, and, without hesitating, makes himself comfortable and falls asleep on what he thinks is his bed.A few minutes later, Nadya, a beautiful Russian woman, enters this same apartment - only it is really hers. Naturally, she is shocked to find a drunk stranger asleep on her bed. And her fiancé, who arrives shortly after, isn't thrilled to see drunk Zhenya either. The chemistry between Nadya and Zhenya grows as events begin to unravel...The average foreigner will probably ask - "How is it possible that the apartment building and the apartment itself is identical to the one in Moscow? How could he even open the door with his key?" In Soviet times, buildings were built almost identically. There was no individuality. Flats looked the same. The furniture was the same. And, by luck, the key matched perfectly as well, although not surprisingly.Anyway, this is a brilliantly funny, at times sad, film. It is a must see to anyone who is at least mildly interested in Russian people, culture or just the Russian way of life.

Max-206 This is a great film.First of all it's a great story that combines elements of subtle satire, romance, and at times laugh-outloud comedy into a farcical love triangle. Second is the great acting. Andrei Myagkov simply delivers a character who undergoes significant, yet somehow believable transformation from a shy, nerdy young doctor to a bold, at times arrogant, yet at the same time romantic man. A great comic performance by Yuri Yakovlev, as the jealous fiance of the heroine, alone makes the film worth watching, to the last moments.The 3rd element is the music and poetry. The songs are an important part of narration, not just there for a backdrop. The song lyrics and the poetry are by some of the most prominent Russian poets of the Silver Age and are just plain beautiful. In short this an amazing film, one of those that can be watched over and over.Finally, if you don't speak Russian, check this film on DVD(NTSC). I recently got it and was very impressed by the quality of translation offered by the subtitles, which provide translation of the songs as well as the dialogue.