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Very well executed

Touches You

Excellent but underrated film

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The aesthetic options this movie takes will make you immerse into the epoch. From the beginning, when they get down from the ship and the music and military marches don't sound as they should, but muffled and empty, you could see reality was going to take its toll on the couple's dreams.While quite implausible (Sasha's crossing, Aleksei Golovin getting scots-free from all he did) the villains are not as dumb and cartoonish as in other films of, say, Nazy Germany.Sandrine Bonnaire is fine. Unrecognizable from her half wit Sophie from La Cérémonie (1995) as well as the sleuth in Chabrol's Au coeur du mensonge, she's radiantly beautiful here. Only later, watching some scant pictures at IMDb, did I realize that her nose, for instance, isn't exactly "nice". Good for her, her smile erases our rationality :).I found the film surprising, specially since the couple of main characters don't perform according to expectations. Aleksei, while the honest bright physician, falls in the clutches of a believable Olga (as Tatiana Doguileva) without much ado. And Marie is not immune to Russian charm either, forgetting her son at her charge to boot.What I really didn't like is the heroic format of Catherine Deneuve's actress turned "freedom fighter" Gabrielle Develay. As if the director, writer etc. had to erase with one elbow what had been (well) written with the other one, this character comes out of the blue to be the only "hope of liberty at western capitalism". As one character says to her: "You hardly know this person you're risking your life for!". Besides the tricks for a Disney movie, the "last minute efforts", the stupidest guards on earth etc, I suspect the KGB didn't run the country or kill more than 20 million people and could have not realized that, for instance, once Marie first gave sure signs of "dissidence" and then did what she did (Sasha), she wasn't going to try more mischief. So Sasha's story, from his swimming talents (like a bad Hollywood movie), the state official realizing his family had all been traitors and him being let free to wander in the country, then his standing at the French Embassy like if somebody in his condition could really barter for anything (there were millions of people in the same condition).The dismal housing problems are accurately depicted, as well as the troubles of "too many people living under a single roof". Of course, like in all big productions, visuals are fine (like Sasha's training at a beautiful cold river), as the epoch (the buildings, cars, clothing, the already mentioned crowded flat, even the "expensive Bulgarian hotel" looks, well... Sovietic and fadish!). The opulent interiors shot in drab color as jotix100 from New York writes at IMDb. Ah, the petty thiefs who "find chicken around the corner" and jewellry from a relative are sympa, they add some naive contrast to the dire Soviet conditions. Which were probably many times worse than what the film dares to show.All in all, I liked the film. But I feel it lost gravitas and depth due to concession to the ticket office.

This film reminded me of going to the zoo. Here you have a community of individuals that are captured by the thought of a longer life, freedom, and food, only when they arrive (like animals in zoo); they are shocked by the realism that it is not a vacation. Food will be served at your captor's convenience, your captors determine the chain of command as well, and finally, nobody can leave once they arrive. After WWII, under Stalin's regime, Russia invites all defectors back to their homeland, but it is a trick. Est-Ouest tells the story of one family's plight to escape a country that has transformed into a wall-less prison. With the KGB watching their every move, our heroes must risk everything to see the light of freedom once more. Living in a post 9/11 world, one cannot help but begin to see the similarities between what Alexei and Marie and the Arab world in America. While not quite as harsh, we constantly are reminded about the vengeful eye of our government and the illustrious Patriot Act.Est-Ouest is one of those films where you could either be excited and happy by the results or be bursting into an emotional sea of tears. From the opening credit sequence until the darkened words crept back on the screen, this film captivated me. With the powerful acting, the intense story, and the brilliant work behind the camera, Est-Ouest will pull hard on your emotions and not release you until the very end. Director Régis Wargnier has done a superb job of bringing the history of the characters, as well as the land, straight into your hearts. He does this with some of the most common techniques and a very simple story. This is a story about love and freedom. He uses these simplistic structures to keep us focused on the overall depth and tone of the film. There is this feeling of being in a non-barred cage, unable to escape, unable to be free due to the vengeful eye of your comrades. Wargnier forces you to feel for these characters, from the beginning until the end, because they are no different than you are I. They are placed in a situation like no other, yet somehow so real that we could witness it happen even today.From our initial meeting with Alexei and Marie on the boat heading to Russia, we are bombarded with a sense of pride, love, and fear all at once. We are unfamiliar with the relationship between Alexei and Marie, but immediately take it as a loving one. Perhaps we are too haste with that decision, because as our story unfolds, as does the bond that connects these two individuals … or at least that is what Wargnier would like us to think. Est-Ouest is more than just a story about escaping to freedom, it is a contrast between patience and immediate self-sacrifice. Marie wants to escape the cold world they inhabit immediately, she wants to see Paris again and taste its freedom, while Alexei does as well, just not quite as quickly. He understands the rules of the nation, and slowly sets in motion a plan that will give his wife all that he has promised. It took me until the end of the film to see this contrast between immediate escape and patience. While I thought that it was a great message to show, I felt as if the timing was a bit off throughout the film. I had trouble following the timeline, while I did realize that several years had passed between these horrific events, the only person that seemed to age was Alexei's son. I needed a stronger connection between these riveting scenes so that I could keep track in my mind the time that had passed.The acting was gorgeous. Oleg Menshikov and Sandrine Bonnaire had such a powerful connection on screen that I could not keep my eyes off them. When they were together you wanted them to be, and when they were apart, you dreamt of them being back together. You cannot say that of many film characters. The late Sergei Bodrov Jr. reminded me of a Russian Brad Pitt. The way he carried himself and acted in this film was similar to that of Mr. Pitt. Together these three key players brought this film to life. While somehow Catherine Deneuve received top billing as well, she didn't seem to carry as much of the weight that I had hoped that she would. While she was vital to the story, I felt she could have brought more to her character. The depth behind her words just wasn't there or just didn't seem to match the emotion of everyone else.The only other negative aspect that I have with this film was that I felt the story seemed incomplete. There were moments where we were given a nibble to enjoy, but never fully developed those nibbles into bites. There were elements of the story that needed to be developed further, such as the relationship between Sasha and Marie. While I did see some evolution when they were in Russia, it was later that I needed the follow-up. It just felt as if some strings were not tied at the end, but instead left frayed with questions looming in the air.Overall, I thought this was a very tight drama. There were some flaws with may have caused it to loose its Oscar win in 1999, but nonetheless, the good did outweigh the bad. The characters were intense, the story (outside of the loose ends) was captivating, and being able to see a darker side of the world was thrilling. Simply put, this was a story about freedom and love, and those are themes that transcend throughout history. Est-Ouest is a story for seeing the destructive nature of Stalinism and its impact on humanity.Grade: **** out of *****

This is excellent-quality movie from technical and historical part. I also liked the realism of situation in post-World War II Soviet Union. I'm suggesting to watch that strong drama everyone who is interesting in history or good storyline. What I didn't like is too much time skipping in the second part of the movie and too slow-on-action part one. It seems like there were two different directors, who tried to bring together one plot. Another disadvantage is accent of some of international actors when they are speaking Russian, however actors play really good and naturally. Overall, I did enjoy the movies, however I didn't suggest it to the people who just want to see action or comedy. This is serious drama and your mood must be the same.

At first, I thought that this is a comedy about those people coming from outside back to Russia, and experienced an entirely different cultural shock. It is actually a very serious movie, and it glued me to the screen for the entire two hours. It just feels so short when the movie ended. I have seen quite a few movies about the horror living in a socialist country. However, I think there should also be a few good movies that tell the other side of the story. This movie is very authentic describing the horror and fear that people live under constant surveillance. And they can not go back ever again. The sacrifice the husband made, you can have a good heart cry over this movie. If you have time, you should also listen to the directors' commentary. I think that the best part in this movie is about them going to the France Embassy of which the guard looked at their different shoes. The love, the tenacity, the emotions are just so real.