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also known as Stilyagi
Hipsters2008
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Moscow 1955. Stalin has been dead two years, but not even Khrushchev's thaw can prevent Komsomol shock troops from hounding hipsters (stilyagi), fans of American jazz, culture and fashion. The student Mels, a Komsomol member, meets Polya, a hipster, while conducting a raid on a hipster hangout. Mels falls in love with Polya while his Communist comrade harbors romantic feelings for him. Mels ingratiates himself into Polya's group of hipsters who meet up on "Broadway" (Gorky/Tverskaya Street), and begins adopting their extreme fashion and lifestyle. Soon, Mels is a hit on the dance floor and starts learning to play the saxophone. He is expelled from college, changes his name to Mel and has the beautiful Polya for a girlfriend. With delightful retro-musical scenes and cinematography parodying the style of Soviet realism, HIPSTERS is a lush rebel-with-a-cause romance full of intricately choreographed toe-tapping numbers, and plenty of satirical social commentary.
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1 member likes this review
I thought I was getting into a documentary about contemporary American hipsters, but this is a light-hearted feel-good musical which sheds light on the creep of American culture, most notably Jazz music, into post-WWII-era Russia. This film will lift your spirits and make you laugh out loud.
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Starring
- Oksana Akinshina - Polza
- Konstantin Balakirev - Dryn
- Eugenia Hirivskaya - Katya
- Maksim Matveev - Fred
- Anton Shagin - Mels
- Georgiy Sivokhin - Kim
- Olga Smirnova - Sherri
- Aleksandr Stefantsov - Nolik
- Ekaterina Vilkova - Betsi
- Igor Voynarovskiy - Bob
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Member Reviews (8)
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I thought I was getting into a documentary about contemporary American hipsters, but this is a light-hearted feel-good musical which sheds light on the creep of American culture, most notably Jazz music, into post-WWII-era Russia. This film will lift your spirits and make you laugh out loud.
1 member likes this review
top reviewer
It's so nice to see a film with something of the spirit of "Daisies" coming out of the Russian cinema, which has never been noted for its lightheartedness. The Luhrmann-esque visuals and musical numbers are a lot of fun, and the production design is amazing, but these elements by themselves could have amounted to an alienating experience if it weren't for the work of the very talented young actors and the space the director gives them to create moments of real poignancy. Given the news that's been coming out of Russia over the past year or so (Pussy Riot, persecution of the GLBT community) the conflicts presented in the film are still very much alive. Worth a look even if you're not an Eastern Europe nerd.
1 member likes this review
top reviewer
I didn't know if I was going to like a Russian musical but it was certainly refreshing to see this film! I think all that swing and jazz is going to be ringing in my head for quite some time. This is one fun movie!
1 member likes this review
top reviewer
loved it, it was visually stunning, interesting and well told.
Interesting...
It's interesting how the American film musical gets transformed into a political, anto government medium in the hands of a Russian film maker. Influences in the film of Coppola's Cotton Club (the way the music is edited) and Once from the Heart (in some of its sets, what used to be called mis-en-scene) and a bit of Silk Stockings. A very enjoyable and very well made film.
Great movie
Loved it.