Cemal is from Istanbul, Turkey and he is about to get married to a bride his family have found for him. His loving uncle and brother decide that he must know how to treat his new woman properly, in the bedroom department that is, and so take him for an 'educational' tour of the fleshpots of Kiev, Ukraine.
Once there they go to a 'sexy' night club, where the ladies are all 'professionals'. Into the club walks the effortlessly beautiful Sasha. She is living the life of a trophy wife - without the marriage - to a rich businessman. It happens to be her birthday and she feels let down by his no show, so has decided to go out and pick up a man. She is drawn to Cemal and he is most definitely drawn to her and so he jumps into her Range Rover and they head off into the night. What follows is a touching, sometimes funny but mostly very human affair of the heart.
Now this is billed as a comedy drama with culture clashes and the endearment of the kindness of strangers. I thought it was almost like a 'Love Story' without the longevity but also demonstrating that language does not have to be a barrier to love. This is a beautifully shot film, with Kiev sparkling in the winter snow - this is juxtaposed with the broken high rises where Sasha's mother lives - all graffiti and plastic covering the broken windows.
The kindness of strangers part is well realised, but it is the central relationship that holds this together and provides the impetus to make you want to watch more - so much so that the ending comes too soon. It is a film I really enjoyed; it is in Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian and the international language of tourists and air line pilots - English. A film for those who want their movies to be less predictable and who appreciate a quality production - absolutely recommended.
Once there they go to a 'sexy' night club, where the ladies are all 'professionals'. Into the club walks the effortlessly beautiful Sasha. She is living the life of a trophy wife - without the marriage - to a rich businessman. It happens to be her birthday and she feels let down by his no show, so has decided to go out and pick up a man. She is drawn to Cemal and he is most definitely drawn to her and so he jumps into her Range Rover and they head off into the night. What follows is a touching, sometimes funny but mostly very human affair of the heart.
Now this is billed as a comedy drama with culture clashes and the endearment of the kindness of strangers. I thought it was almost like a 'Love Story' without the longevity but also demonstrating that language does not have to be a barrier to love. This is a beautifully shot film, with Kiev sparkling in the winter snow - this is juxtaposed with the broken high rises where Sasha's mother lives - all graffiti and plastic covering the broken windows.
The kindness of strangers part is well realised, but it is the central relationship that holds this together and provides the impetus to make you want to watch more - so much so that the ending comes too soon. It is a film I really enjoyed; it is in Turkish, Ukrainian, Russian and the international language of tourists and air line pilots - English. A film for those who want their movies to be less predictable and who appreciate a quality production - absolutely recommended.