rfpaixao
This movie has a real Russian feeling in it. The way Russians behave towards each other, the way they treat people and their warmth is something that is not well known for people who has never been there. Definitely the movie is stylized, but if it reminds anything that would be Nine and a Half Weeks. The previous post misses the "invasion" of the "peasant" into the lives of sophisticated urbanites as an attempt to show "how multiracial" Russia has become. It reminds me Bunuel, instead. In L'Age D'or, a movie from the 1920's, there is a scene in which a bunch a peasants pass through an opulent party where the burgeosie is feasting, in a surreal way. It's as like the peasants breath life in that artificial environment. Life, love is all there is.
ekeby
I really liked this little Russian movie . . . It's about a love triangle: ad exec, anchorwoman, zoo keeper. We get to see an upscale Moscow couple at work and play, and that in itself is interesting, particularly when an attractive and unsophisticated rural guy is thrown into the mix. I particularly liked watching the triangle develop. The simple honesty of the young zoo keeper--an Asian-Russian--as he confronts the big city and the object of his desire, is unlike anything I can recall seeing anywhere else. The schism between urban and rural Russia is apparent when the zoo keeper attempts to grasp the concept of an ATM, and when he is enchanted by the ease of turning an electric lamp on and off. While the gay relationship is not shown in an explicit way, the playfully obtuse suggestions of it are fully erotic and believable. The anchorwoman's struggle to keep her man to herself is clever, and again, believable. There's some melodrama toward the end that is the weakest aspect of the movie. As a plot device, it could have been replaced with something a little more in keeping with the basic concept of the main characters' relationship. Still, it's a plausible story line, and isn't really the main thrust of the movie.This movie put me in mind of Threesome, a seriously neglected American movie that covers similar ground in a similarly honest and refreshing way. They share an authentic depiction of contemporary love with humor and pathos as equal partners.This movie deserves a wider audience, and not just a gay audience.
graham clarke
Foreign films have an intrinsic advantage in that their milieu in itself tends to have great charm for audiences unfamiliar with that particular country and its people. What we know of foreign countries is largely based on superficial television coverage so when we seemingly are afforded a supposedly more realistic glimpse into foreign cultures, the result has a certain refreshing quality to it. "You I Love" owes it success primarily to this factor. It's something of a novelty to watch a Russian light comedy concerning a bisexual Muscovite yuppie.While the end result is not more than an amusing 85 minutes the three protagonists have very engaging screen presences, especially the two males in their debut appearances, (according to IMDb).Very lightweight but not without charm.
paul-1058
Really, a dismal piece of work. I would rate it as unwatchable, if only for the acting. But let's not give short shrift to the other poor aspects of this film: it was also poorly written, edited, scored, and directed. Everything about this film just says, "Film school, first attempt."Be assured, this move is not significant as a "gay Russian film." Gay relationships in film are hardly groundbreaking events, and unless you can put a reasonable story around it, it deserves only to be significant as a "a bad Russian film."The positive reviews I've read strike me as overwhelming patronizing to Russian film-making.Note: I can only really comment on the first hour of this movie, since that's all we stayed for. If you've become curious about this movie and just must see it, I strongly recommend you stay out of the theater and make this one a rental.