One of the best Soviet comedies. Zorin wrote a wonderful play, based on his life as a student in Moscow in the 50's. Kazakov made a superb film out of it. In a way it's their Declaration of love: to Moscow, post-war Moscow and Muscovites, and to the days when they were young and in love. Besides the plot, the cast forms a beautiful ensemble, where even the smallest roles get stuck in one's head immediately (e.g. Rimma Markova or Elisaveta Nikishchikhina). Have no clue, how would it be to watch this film in translation, but for anyone who knows Russian almost every line the characters say is an absolute masterpiece: laconic, acute, hilarious. The film is an absolute classic!

It's OK if somebody doesn't get the plot.It's not your fault. Don't get depressed because of this. This is the film from it's era. It has depicted Russian way living and dreaming. When all people are raised in soviet mentality you can only appreciate there are such gems like this. This type of art can only be understood if you have ever experienced how is to live in soviet regime.When people live under depression of their government, and every line in every movie, book, paper or TV program is censored first and can only be released if approved - some artist manage to sneak human feeling in to their art work, showing how humans try to free themselves. this movement of trying to free yourself is the art.

This is a great masterpiece of Soviet-era cinematography. The ensemble of unique and likable characters is portrayed by a superb cast. The movie is filled with hilarious one-liners, theatrical satire, genuine emotions, and lovingly examines the lives of six dwellers of a communal apartment in a romantic and somewhat nostalgic setting of 1950's Moscow. Trivia and POSSIBLE SPOILER: the movie underwent considerable scrutiny during the "Stale Period" of USSR due to a particular sequence towards the end - the image of a motorcycle flying over the cliff was perceived by the authorities as a subtext reference to immigration. When the director Kozakov was asked to explain its meaning, he replied : "No, they're just flying to the future."

This is a sweet, kind, beautifully filmed story of life in the late fifties Moscow, as seen by a young student, come from the provinces to live with his elderly aunt (the talented and breathtakingly beautiful Sofiya Pilyavskaya), in a shadowy communal apartment. If you are not watching in translation, take note of the songs. The three main songs of this film are nearly the most famous fifties songs written by the late, great Bulat Okudzhava. Leonid Bronevoy (memorable as Muller in "The Seventeen Moments of Spring" mini-series), is charming as the aging singer, Velyurov, and the unforgettable Morgunov has a brief part as the song-writer, dominated by his "evil genius" of a wife. This is a charming film.