Yevgeniya Simonova Movies
- 1983
In this fast-moving children's picture, a kindergarten is closed down suddenly because of a contagious illness and the parents of little 5-year-old Masha are in desperate straits -- where do they leave her while they go off to work? The mother is a research scientist and the father works in a museum -- they do not have the option of staying home and caring for their daughter, and neither do they have an extended family -- at least, not one that can extend over a long period of child care. And so the bright and enterprising Masha is about to have the various experiences of her young life as she is left with everyone from relatives, to her parents' co-workers, friends, and even casual acquaintances. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lika Kremer, Yevgeniya Simonova, (more)
- 1981
Twenty-Six Days in the Life of Dostoyevsky was entered on February 16th at the 1981 Berlin Film Festival to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Dostoyevsky's death on February 9th, 1881, and won a "Best Actor" award for Anatoly Solonitsyn as Dostoyevsky. Solonitsyn was a favorite actor in Andrei Tarkovsky's films, and this was to be his penultimate role. This brief imaginary period in the famed Russian writer's life encapsulates one of his darker moments in 1866. At that time he was still a relatively unknown writer whose first widely acclaimed work, Crime and Punishment, was just on the horizon. His life was at a very low ebb as he struggled with debts he could not pay, and as he fought depression over the loss of his wife to tuberculosis, and the death of his brother, who was very close to him. His first literary journal had to be scrapped because of political reasons, and the second venture needed funding. The police come to see him, sent by his publisher who is demanding recompense for debts overdue. Desperate to escape the pressure on all sides, Dostoyevsky decides to undertake the impossible and write the story of The Gambler in 26 days, thereby satisfying the debt to the publisher at least. The secretary who takes down the dictation for the book slowly becomes enamored of Dostoyevsky, whose foibles and passions are revealed in the autobiographical tale she is transcribing. As "The Gambler" himself, Dostoyevsky traveled through Europe in 1862, deeply involved in two disparate loves: gambling and Polina Suslova Ewa Szykulska. Before long, the secretary becomes more and more entwined in Dostoyevsky's life as their relationship begins to blossom and the basis of a mutual love is formed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anatoli Solonitsin, Yevgeniya Simonova, (more)
- 1980
Based on a short story by Anton Chekhov, this drama centers around a desire for revenge and the tragedy of a star-crossed love. After a general ruins some men under him in punishment for a rebellion, a friend of the broken men vows revenge. The friend, a naval officer, takes a job as a valet in the general's son's house. While he plots his revenge, the son has an affair with a woman whom the valet begins to love. She is discarded after becoming pregnant, and the valet has his own troubles; he has contracted tuberculosis. Sick and unable to follow through on his plans for vengeance, he leaves for France with the pregnant woman hoping to declare his love and seek a cure for his illness. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yevgeniya Simonova, Alexander Kaidanovsky, (more)
- 1978
Adapted from a fairy tale by Yevgeny Shvarts, this story is about a magician (Oleg Yankovsky) who is concerned because his wife (Irina Kupchenko) has become rather bored -- and he decides to do something about it. He goes out and finds a bear, and with some "abracadabra," he changes the bear into a handsome young man (Alexander Abdulov). Then he says to his wife that "It has been foretold that a bear (in the guise of a handsome young man) will meet a princess and fall in love with her -- but as soon as they have their first kiss, it will change him permanently back into his bear form." After which he tells her that the king (Yevgeny Leonov), his daughter the princess (Yevgeniya Simonova), and their court will come to the magician's house and meet the young-man-cum "bear." Sure enough, the entire troupe shows up, and the princess falls in love with the man/bear -- who knows the truth about the effect of only one kiss with the princess. Desperate to save her feelings, he leaves rather than kiss her. The princess is disheartened at his behavior and leaves too -- but the pair is destined to meet again in spite of the machinations of the Prime Minister (Andrei Mironov) who wants to marry the princess himself. Now the magician needs a real miracle to bring everything to a desired happy ending. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oleg Yankovsky, Irina Kupchenko, (more)
- 1975
In the former Soviet Union, all apartment blocks were owned by the State. Because they were poorly built and poorly maintained, service and repair people held tremendous power, and used it. One plumber might serve a whole street of apartment buildings, and could demand whatever he wanted in order to perform even the most routine repairs, ie...extra money or a bottle of vodka (or more). In this comedy, the reality of this situation is clearly depicted. Afonya (Leonid Kuraviev) is a typical drunken, bullying plumber, extorting extra money and drink from his victims. He pals around with his buddy Kolya (Yevgeny Leonov), spending most of his "working" day in bars, drinking beer and eating crawfish and salted fish. Despite constant reprimands from the workers' committee, nothing puts a dent in his behavior until he falls in love with lovely young nurse Katya (Yevgenia Simonova), who insists that he treat people better. His buddy Kolya wants him to continue doing things the old way. West Europeans viewing this film found it surrealistic, because they could not believe the situations in it were real. Soviets, on the other hand, found it side-splittingly right on target, and it was very popular. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonid Kuravlev, Yevgeniya Simonova, (more)
