Kirpianuscus
not a surprise. the novel remains a classic of Soviet literature. but that fact does its adaptation special. the genius of Gayday who builds a charming comedy in a splendid, precise manner.each scene is a gem. and the acting is at high level. the risks to mistake are many but that danger does the film a magnificent adventure. a film about a search who becomes portrait of society. a trip in Soviet Union for a treasure. the trip is reflection of the people's real image. and good occasion for create not exactly a good comedy but a spectacular adventure of a society who is hostage out of normality. it reminds many comedies from the same period. but its real gift is to remain unique. maybe not the best but surely memorable. the last scenes are the best argument. because, the spirit of a well known novel has the best support in the inspired science of detail and wise use of irony of a very interesting director.
hte-trasme
Ilf and Petrov's original novel of "The Twelve Chairs" was a fantastically lighthearted, satirical, and witty piece of work that managed to pack a huge amount of comic and observant material densely into one novel that still flies by when read. Any film adaptation could only hope to capture the delightfully larcenous tone, and give a tour of some of the more enjoyable moments of picaresque plot. This film succeeds at that, and goes beyond it. An adaptation of a famously iconoclastic novel manages to honor the authors while being appropriately innovative itself -- where new sequences are added, they are funny and they fit. The title card announcing how long till the end of the film is formally experimental and funny. The slapstick sequences do everything they should. The cartoon of Bender's chess dream is delightfully wacky (and oddly prescient of the construction of an actual "Chess City" by an eccentric president in one of Russia's federal subjects 27 years later). The two stars quickly and lastingly convince as the Great Combiner and his mark -- a pair of heroes we can root as strongly for as we can again. Everything has a brisk, breezy, exhilarating pace. A worthy screen version of the brilliant comic novel.
ybelov-2
After seeing Andrei Mironov i Zakharov's "12 stulyev" (1977), it hard to imagine a better actor for the part of Ostap. In general, this Gaidai's film is weak. The acting is too eccentric and unnatural, the sets and the music are too simplistic. Showing a "modern" Soviet Moscow at the end is completely out of place. Even such brilliant actors as Yuri Nikulin and Georgi Vitsin cannot save this film. My rating: 5/10. If you want to see a much better films by Gaidai, look for "Ivan Vasilyevich" (1973) and especially "Kavkazskaya plennitsa" (1966).As for "12 stulyev", try to see the film by Mark Zakharov.
oleh_k
The best comedy I have seen. The script is based on exceptionally observant novel by Ilf and Petrov and is translated to screen flawlessly. But wait, not only dialog is clever, this film is one of the best (or the best) physical comedies I know. My friend who does not speak Russian enjoyed simply watching acting by superb ensemble of actors. There is not a single false note through entire three hour run. I watch it again and again. Beautiful and smart! 10/10.
AD
