Ivan Mirosnikov, a cheeky young man in the Gorbachev era, is trying to figure out what to do with his life (he's not in college, and the 2-year mandatory military service is looming large ahead of him). Meanwhile, he lives with his divorced mother, and works as a courier at a Russian newspaper. Through his job, he meets patronizing Professor Kuznetzov and his rebellious daughter Katya. To annoy the professor, Ivan claims to have an affair with Katya. To his surprise, Katya backs his story up.
Acting
Dunayevsky's slouch is a masterclass in aimless charisma.
Direction
Shakhnazarov captures Moscow's crumbling optimism perfectly.
Writing
The fake-affair premise is *ridiculous* and somehow works.
Director
Karen Shakhnazarov
Fyodor Dunayevsky
Ivan
Anastasiya Nemolyaeva
Katya
Oleg Basilashvili
Katya's father
Inna Churikova
Ivan's mother
Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyornyy
Ivan's chief
Vladimir Menshov
Guest on Katya's birthday
Svetlana Kryuchkova
Zinaida Pavlovna
Alika Smekhova
Nina
Sergey Chonishvili
Ilya
Nikolai Karnaukhov
staff department
Aleftina Evdokimova
Katya's mother
Yevdokiya Urusova
Agnessa Ivanova
Andrei Vertogradov
Fyodor Ivanovich Miroshnikov
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during glasnost, it became a generational touchstone for Soviet youth who saw themselves in Ivan's directionless drift.
Fyodor Dunayevsky was a rock musician with no acting training; Shakhnazarov cast him for authentic 'I don't care' energy.
SU
