Radio jockey Masha Yemelyanova is getting ready for her wedding when she loses her phone at a crowded street crossing. It is picked up by Maxim Vasilyev, a young architect who has recently won an international competition and is about to leave for work in Berlin. This hit comedy follows the pair through a vividly captured St Petersburg as they attempt to recover the phone to Masha. Will they ever meet? Capturing the optimism and angst of young professionals in modern, urban Russia, this popular film offers a stylish and engaging take on noughties life.
An idiosyncratic, wistful, occasionally melancholy take on the rom-com genre, with a charming pair of leads. Early 2000s St. Petersburg in its slightly shabby grandeur is very much a supporting character. The height and depth of the frame, along with a variety of off-kilter angles are used to a striking effect. I liked how much the story was visually rather than through dialogue.