ThiefHott Too much of everything

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

MermaidMelissa This was a good interpretation. It's the type of movie that I hope opens the imagination to it's viewers and allows you to believe in the unbelievable -if only for a moment. Even though I only viewed this film because it relates to my career field as a mermaid, I liked the feel of the project and can tell this one might have taken a while to plan and come up with. It is more of an adult type of audience more than what you might imagine and if you are hoping for an actual mermaid like in Disney you will be sadly disappointed. Not every film needs to be a replica of the next and this goes into its own direction and interpretation of how to use the word mermaid to tie in it's storyline.

brunodutch Perhaps 'twee' is to Russian films what 'quirky' is to American. Either way it's a sickly confection that demands nothing from its audience other than it checks its brain at the door. One of the most narcissistically irritating heroines since the repulsive Amelie is able to do stuff for some reason. That the role is played by such an unappealing actress doesn't much help but it could have been Hepburn and it wouldn't have survived the director's insistent 'look at me' style and the archness that sucks out whatever life there might have been in the story leaving behind nothing but pretty-pretty photography.This story was much better done in the 50s in Giraudoux's play Undine which, in fact, introduced Audrey Hepburn in the West End.

johno-21 This was among my four highest favorites of the 36 films I saw at this years Palm Springs International Film Festival. This film won the Directing Award and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize, both in the World Cinema-Dramatic category at last years Sundance Film Festival. It's an amazing film for a feature film sophomore release by writer/director Anna Melikyan. This is the story of Alisa (Anastasiya Dontsova as little girl Alisa and Mariya Shalayeva as young woman Alisa) who grows up in a seaside fishing village with her mother (Mariya Sokova) and her grandmother (Albina Yevtushevskaya). Alisa is the product of very brief affair between her mother and a sailor. The sailor returns to his ship and the seas and out of their lives forever and Alisa longs for the return of the father she never knew. Alisa also longs to be a ballerina but when she is denied she takes a vow of silence to never speak again. This results in her being sent to a special needs school where she excels and develops what she believes is the power to make certain wishes come true. As an adult she heads to Moscow where she saves a handsome and wealthy burnt out real estate salesman from suicide. Now she must compete for his affection. Beautiful photography from cinematographer Oleg Kirichenko and art direction from Ulyna Ryabova with an excellent original music score from Igor Vdovin who all like director Melikyan are relatively new to feature film-making. Great casting with superb acting performances especially from Shalayeva as the older Alisa, who at 25 when this was filmed doesn't look nearly that old, and from the equally charming Dontsova as the younger Alisa. This film is a dramatic comedy with a lot of comedy blended with fable-like fantasy and color. This is quirky, bright, fun, smart, imaginative and innovative story and storytelling. There are a couple of dark scenes, one stunning and numbing scene in particular through great film-making where you anticipate what may happen but when it does happen it's not what you expected at all. This is a great film and I would recommend it and give it a 10 out of 10.

mrmproductions I only saw fifteen films at the Sundance Film Festival this year, but this one was my favorite film. The music was fantastic and maintained a level of intrigue and surrealism that produced a sense of mythic reality and impending urgency. Anastasiya Dontsova was phenomenal as Young Alisa and Mariya Shalayeva, who played Alisa from ages 17-18 years old, was spellbinding. The many closeups of her anxious face were a delight to the beholder. Although the pacing was a little slow at times, the story moved forward with a sense of inevitability that I imagine reflects the current circumstance in Russia today. It's always wonderful to see great films still coming out of the former Soviet Union.