Gennady Nazarov Movies

In Mumu, Lyudmilla Maksakova plays Mistress, a wealthy landlady in 19th Century Russia who has a large population of serfs in her grasp -- and she happens to enjoy squeezing them every once in a while. She's always searching for new ways to emotionally manipulate her underlings, her favorite having herself pronounced dead so she can see how people would react to her passing (she's tried this more than once). Into this picture comes Gerasimo (Alexander Baluev), a bearded mountain of a man who happens to be mute. Most men regard him as a simpleton and toy with him (which they usually come to regret), while women are often charmed by his gentle yet masculine nature. Gerasimo soon finds himself in the first stages of romance with a lovely blonde serf and adopts a small dog, which he names Mumu (one of the only sounds he can make). However, Mistress is not happy with either of these developments and puts a stop to both -- which earns her Gerasimo's wrath. Based on a story by Ivan Turgenev, this historical drama ironically became the first Russian film to have its own promotional website (mumu.park.ru). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

The irony of the title becomes apparent at the story's end in this lively Russian comedy that follows the daily lives of four young people living in a suburban Moscow hostel in 1950 when Stalin's regime was at its peak of power. The foursome are all attending the Art Institute and spend their free-time, of which they seem to have plenty, playing games. All of them are terribly poor, but they treat this as a kind of game, spending their energy involving themselves in affairs rather than fretting about the things they lack. They also enjoy playing practical jokes, some of them quite nasty, upon one another. Among their many games is one in which a student uses a secret radio to pretend he is "the Voice of America." In another scene, a student gets on the air and announces a new socialist welfare plan. This leads the authorities to question another student who in terror bursts into hysterical tears. Eventually, Stalin's secret police capture each of the youths and have them cruelly executed. In the final scene though, the four are seen running free upon the streets of Moscow. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This Russian-French comedy examines the effects of capitalism and democracy upon a Russian peasant village. It was filmed in the rural village of Bezvodnoye, the setting of this film's 1967 precursor "Asya's Happiness." The outspoken peasant woman Asya returns in this new episode which begins with her walking along a road explaining why democracy doesn't work. Her husband is an alcoholic who lives with a gypsy. Her son works on the black market for the mob. He was part of a theft involving a rare golden egg from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Asya's opinions seem to be well founded. In the village crime has increased, inflation is rising, and local authorities are ineffectual. Many locals are so angry at the town Capitalist for running his mill 24-hours per day that they stage a demonstration and begin waving pro-Communist banners. Asya's pet chicken begins to grow and speak. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide