Boy meets girl in St Petersburg, 1900 and sets in motion a really very interesting love story with undertones of feminism. For the most part the story works, but the big surprise in this production is how good the whole period piece looks and plays out. The actors have their work cut out, for this is predominantly an action movie on skates, and the young talented cast go all out to show how good they are. This is the real strength of the movie, rather than the story, which is not entirely new.
The production values are first class and show that the Russians can really put on a good show, but what surprised me again was the marvellous cinematography and fine editing which showed off the skating for maximum impact. This was a film that was carefully thought out and the many skating set pieces are a testimony to that. The acting is excellent and the slightly tongue in cheek feel added to the enjoyment. The feminist undertones to the story only started to surface at the end which was probably just as well because the other aspects of the film are what makes it truly memorable.
The production values are first class and show that the Russians can really put on a good show, but what surprised me again was the marvellous cinematography and fine editing which showed off the skating for maximum impact. This was a film that was carefully thought out and the many skating set pieces are a testimony to that. The acting is excellent and the slightly tongue in cheek feel added to the enjoyment. The feminist undertones to the story only started to surface at the end which was probably just as well because the other aspects of the film are what makes it truly memorable.