Reading some of the user reviews of this film, I just can't keep quiet. Some of the comments really missed the point:
"Juliy had no friends at all. He gave a pre-wedding feast at his house and could only find four people to invite, none of whom were his friends" - The film made it clear that he was trying to surround Larisa with high society, not his friends. That was the whole point! He didn't belong in that group.
"the screenplay cliché-ridden" - not at all.
"I was also taken aback by Larissa's easy acquiescence to leaving Juliy for a man, Sergie, who had just ditched her a year ago. She seemed to be resigned to her fate yet raced to get away from Juliy" - Yes, because her mother just made her realize that a marriage with Juliy was going to be a life sentence of misery and shame. On top of that, she is clearly a passionate, spirited girl.
I found it to be a beautifully crafted film about passion and the shackles of social convention set in a stunning period and location.
"Juliy had no friends at all. He gave a pre-wedding feast at his house and could only find four people to invite, none of whom were his friends" - The film made it clear that he was trying to surround Larisa with high society, not his friends. That was the whole point! He didn't belong in that group.
"the screenplay cliché-ridden" - not at all.
"I was also taken aback by Larissa's easy acquiescence to leaving Juliy for a man, Sergie, who had just ditched her a year ago. She seemed to be resigned to her fate yet raced to get away from Juliy" - Yes, because her mother just made her realize that a marriage with Juliy was going to be a life sentence of misery and shame. On top of that, she is clearly a passionate, spirited girl.
I found it to be a beautifully crafted film about passion and the shackles of social convention set in a stunning period and location.