Natasha is the name of the one of the greatest creations in Russian literature in the character portrayed by Tolstoy in his epic novel "War and Peace." In this film, Natasha is the protagonist of a contemporary story of Russian emigrés residing in Toronto. At its heart, the film offers a misleading and blatantly inaccurate portrayal of contemporary Russians and Russia itself.
On the surface, the film is a love story about a couple of teenagers, Natasha and her new cousin Mark. The aunt and uncle of the two youngsters are to be married, which brings together Natasha and Mark in a fateful relationship. But this story is much more sinister than a rehash of "Romeo and Juliet." The filmmakers go out of their way to offer a negative cultural impression of the Russians, life in Moscow, and Russia itself.
Rather than merely tell the story Natasha and Mark, the film's dialogue was overlaid by lengthy conversations around meals, wherein politics entered into the picture. It was never made clear what was the filmmakers' point about the Russian Jewish emigrés. Even when the topic of anti-Semitism was raised, it was unclear what statement the filmmakers wanted to convey.
All too frequently, Russia was described in such disparaging terms that there was the appearance that dysfunctional families like the ones depicted in the film were the Russian cultural norm. Mark's parents were depicted in a happy relationship, but it was odd that Mark's mother Bella appeared young enough to be the daughter of her husband. Likewise, Natasha's parents were portrayed as a mismatched couple from the outset, the mother depicted as a gold-digging, mail-order bride. Above all, the harrowing story of Natasha's childhood abuse was presented in such a casual way that the tragic impact on her was lost on the audience. Instead, Natasha was portrayed as a virtual Medea, as opposed to the lost soul that she was. The ugliest scene in the film is a catfight between mother and daughter that includes Natasha picking up a knife and having to be restrained from her apparent intent on killing her mom.
This film was produced in 2015, prior to the phony American probe into "Russian collusion" in the 2016 presidential election. But the stereotype of Russia as a backward, medieval land with no mores or family values was a blatantly inaccurate one and a holdover from the rarefied days of the Old War.
The good cast, especially the young actor playing Mark, deserves some credit in rising above the dramatic material they were handed. Still, the result was an extremely unpleasant and distasteful film experience.
On the surface, the film is a love story about a couple of teenagers, Natasha and her new cousin Mark. The aunt and uncle of the two youngsters are to be married, which brings together Natasha and Mark in a fateful relationship. But this story is much more sinister than a rehash of "Romeo and Juliet." The filmmakers go out of their way to offer a negative cultural impression of the Russians, life in Moscow, and Russia itself.
Rather than merely tell the story Natasha and Mark, the film's dialogue was overlaid by lengthy conversations around meals, wherein politics entered into the picture. It was never made clear what was the filmmakers' point about the Russian Jewish emigrés. Even when the topic of anti-Semitism was raised, it was unclear what statement the filmmakers wanted to convey.
All too frequently, Russia was described in such disparaging terms that there was the appearance that dysfunctional families like the ones depicted in the film were the Russian cultural norm. Mark's parents were depicted in a happy relationship, but it was odd that Mark's mother Bella appeared young enough to be the daughter of her husband. Likewise, Natasha's parents were portrayed as a mismatched couple from the outset, the mother depicted as a gold-digging, mail-order bride. Above all, the harrowing story of Natasha's childhood abuse was presented in such a casual way that the tragic impact on her was lost on the audience. Instead, Natasha was portrayed as a virtual Medea, as opposed to the lost soul that she was. The ugliest scene in the film is a catfight between mother and daughter that includes Natasha picking up a knife and having to be restrained from her apparent intent on killing her mom.
This film was produced in 2015, prior to the phony American probe into "Russian collusion" in the 2016 presidential election. But the stereotype of Russia as a backward, medieval land with no mores or family values was a blatantly inaccurate one and a holdover from the rarefied days of the Old War.
The good cast, especially the young actor playing Mark, deserves some credit in rising above the dramatic material they were handed. Still, the result was an extremely unpleasant and distasteful film experience.