Ivan is old Russia: thick, dour, hard-working, often brutish; he misses Communism. He drives a taxi and one night meets Alexi, a new Russian, a musician, an alcoholic, irresponsible. Alexi stiffs Ivan for the fare, so Ivan tracks him down and a love-hate relationship ensues. When Alexi lets the bath water run over in Ivan's flat and Ivan must pay 500 rubles for repairs, he tries to force Alexi into day labor to repay him. It's hopeless. Then, suddenly, Alexi is discovered, goes on a jazz tour of America, becomes a celebrity, and returns in triumph. Ivan longs to renew the friendship, and it looks as if he may get what he wants.
Acting
Mamonov's live-wire jazzman vs. Zaychenko's simmering rage.
Direction
Lungin captures Moscow's raw 1990 desperation.
Director
Pavel Lungin
Pyotr Mamonov
Lyosha
Pyotr Zaychenko
Shlykov
Natalya Kolyakanova
Christina
Elena Safonova
Nina
Vladimir Kashpur
Old Nechiporenko
Sergey Gazarov
Administrator
Igor Zolotovitsky
Petyunchik
Vladimir Sterzhakov
Musician in the Taxi
Sergey Galkin
Hippy
Evgeniy Gerchakov
musician in the taxi
Valeri Khlevinsky
Kolya
Yelena Stepanova
beautiful girl
Lidiya Ezhevskaya
Valya
Vyacheslav Gorbunchikov
mechanic from the cab company
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made during perestroika, this captures the exact moment 'new Russians' began replacing Soviet identity. The ruble amounts matter.
Pyotr Mamonov was a real rock star; his American tour scenes mirror his actual 1989 USSR-US cultural exchange. Art met life.
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