I had pretty low expectations for the movie initially and was pleasantly surprised how good this movie turned out to be. The story line is not fast-paced but is very involving and generally looks very believable because.. that's right - it's based on a true-story. What I liked most about this movie was that there are plenty of scenes where you have to questions yourself - how did the character ended where she is now, how much time has passed, why other characters make fairly irrational decisions, have I missed something.. until you start getting clues from the movie itself - you have no time to get bored.
You get a glimpse of how surreal life was in post ww2 soviet empire while it was still fresh with all the uncertainty, paranoia and ridiculousness of the times. Russian characters are played by Russians themselves - nobody else is fit for this job. In the movie you meet friends among enemies and biggest traitors among people of your own. There is at least one scene probably too psychological for average viewer and you start to question how did it end up in the script.. until you realise that the story is impossible without this part and it is there because this is what happened in real life. Definitely a must-watch.
