Gorodok (Little Town), in which Stoianov has played a variety of contemporary types, most prominently rather corpulent women. In Man at the Window, he appears in the uncharacteristic role of a tragic-comic lover boy. Meskhiev, however, smartly uses Stoianov’s talent for comic skits. Delivered at the subtle border between performance and authenticity, Shura’s monologues are surprisingly captivating. Likewise, Sergei Garmash and Vladimir Vdovichenkov act out of character and succeed in their roles. Man at the Window [Человек у окна] The director claims that, in trying to make a feel-good-movie without any art cinema Russia, 2010 tricks, he was not afraid of clichés and Color, 96 minutes banality. Simple stories of love, adultery, Russian with English subtitles jealousy, loyalty, sacrifice, and kindness have indeed been on the back-burner of Director: Dmitrii Meskhiev recent Russian cinema. Meskhiev tells a Screenplay: Il'ia Til'kin story of human relationships and has the Cinematography: Sergei Machil'skii language to do it. Production Designers: Aleksandr Stroilo, Shura is a fool-in-Christ character, a Igor' Karev voice of prophetic and benign irrationality. Music: Iurii Poteenko The genealogy of this character goes back to Cast: Iurii Stoianov, Kristina Kuz'mina, Dostoevsky’s Prince Myshkin (Shura is Sergei Garmash, Vladimir repeatedly called an ‘idiot”) and El'dar Vdovichenkov, Mariia Zvonareva Riazanov’s Iurii Detochkin (Beware of a Producers: Sergei Shumakov, Sergei Car, 1966). Meskhiev’s Shura actually Mel'kumov, Dmitrii Meskhiev endures all the plot turns of Riazanov’s Production: Turtle Studio, with Non-Stop comedy: he is suspected of insanity, then is Production Studio and TV Channel declared to be a social idiot, plays a Robin Russia Hood-like character, and finally is tried and sent to jail. Illuminated by a divine wisdom The film’s protagonist, Aleksandr of sorts, Dronov turns well-entrenched Sergeevich (Shura) Dronov has an social norms upside down. These include unremarkable theater career and a sagging the racist treatment of migrant workers, family life. His real passion is watching life misogynistic treatment of women in outside the windows, an obsession for which modern-day families, and corruption as the he has an uncanny explanation. Shura’s main way to socialize children. The film, accidental meeting with a young woman and however, neither relishes its cultural her New Russian boyfriend changes Shura’s references nor aspires for the status of a life and profoundly affects the lives of those social problem film. It delivers its social around him. critique indirectly, via the means of genre Shura Dronov is played by Iurii cinema: comedy and, above all, melodrama. Stoianov whose persona as an actor has been St. Petersburg in the film is not a cemented by the popular comic TV show province but neither is it one of the two recurring extremes of the city’s recent (commissioned by Channel Russia): a long cinematic portrayal: the imperial capital or a life on television. crime-ridden trash can. Meskhiev’s Petersburg eschews both palatial and slum Alexander Prokhorov and Elena Prokhorova settings: no imperial embankments or Brother-inspired communal apartments and Dmitrii Meskhiev cemeteries appear on the screen. It is simply a town like many other in Russia, where Dmitrii Meskhiev was born in 1963 in ubiquitous puddles “shaped like Latin Leningrad. His father was a renowned America” greet customers of fashionable cameraman and his mother worked at the Japanese restaurants and clothing boutiques. Lenfilm studio. In 1988 Meskhiev Sergei Machil'skii’s camera is equally graduated from Marlen Khutsiev’s interested in people and their environment. workshop in the school of directing at the Dronov’s “job” as the “man at the window” State Institute for Filmmaking. From 1981 motivates many street sketches whose until 2008 he worked at the Lenfilm studio voyeurism is neutralized by the where he made over ten films and TV series. protagonist’s genuine desire to make things At the Moscow International Film Festival, better. Framing pays tribute to the nuanced Meskhiev’s Our Own (2004) received both acting without attracting attention to camera the Golden St. George for best film and the work. The only recurring visual motif are Silver St. George for best director, as well as the windows that separate spaces and the Nika award for best picture. From 2001 people, but also allow to connect to others. till 2008 Meskhiev was the artistic director Meskhiev’s city consists of of the Turtle Film Company. In 2009 impeccably restored historical buildings, Meskhiev became the general producer of newly constructed condos, coffee shops, Russian World Studios in St. Petersburg. restaurants, and stylish but reasonably priced cars. The city has embraced a middle-class Filmography life style and now needs to acquire spiritual respectability. Stoianov’s Shura Dronov 2010 The Man at the Window reminds the rest of the characters that now 2007 Seven Booths that they have all the material accouterments 2005 The Princess and the Pauper (TV of middle class life they must think about series) the values. A bourgeois life-style implies 2004 Our Own middle class values, and melodrama is the 2003 Peculiarities of National Politics perfect vehicle for their articulation. The 2003 Lines of Fate (TV series) middle class cityscape provides the 2002 Diary of a Kamikaze appropriate backdrop. 2001 Mechanical Suite In an interview, Meskhiev remarked 1999 Woman’s Property that his film had absolutely nothing that 1998 The American Lady could warrant festival prizes. Yet, Man at 1997 The Bomb the Window was screened on the closing 1995 Arrival of a Train (short “Exercise night at Kinotavr, Russia’s major film #5”) festival and got the Best Actress award for 1993 Over Dark Water Mariia Zvonareva (Dronov’s wife). Despite 1991 Cynics his film’s festival success, Meskhiev has 1990 Gambrinus different plans for Man at the Window .