Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

olga-day Life goes on. Political systems change. Economies provide wealth for all, or not. We ring the bell to start the school year, and life goes on.This documentary takes the five graduates of PS 57 in Moscow through the wild changes of Perestroika and the end of the Soviet Union. The "money" line for me was "No sausage, but we were happy". In the old days they had less but life felt good. The film addresses the complicated question of Socialism vs. Capitalism, but not directly. And that's a strength. The lives of the five subjects are sketched out., The huge drama of the Soviet Union collapsing is reported succinctly. We get to see the outline of these lives. We get to ponder the tense present of some, the placid present of others, and compare it to the stable and happy but less prosperous earlier life.A life on potatoes but without sausage seems grim to a materialist. A prosperous life without joy seems grim to a spiritualist. Both the Soviet Union and America were mixed economies. Both had socialist and capitalist elements. What's the right mix? This film is excellent background material for those pondering this question. It's also a great review of the last two decades of Moscow life.Minor complaint: though the entire film is in Moscow, and the "no sausage" line seems more like a description of Perestroika outside the major cities.

mraydun I was blown away by how easy it was for me (as well as for my husband) to relate to this film but I don't think you have to be of similar background in order to find this film fascinating and enlightening.I loved that the film wasn't solely political, but focused more on these people's lives instead. This was an excellent little window into people's lives. Of course, this cannot be representative of all Russians, but these five people have very different lives and it was interesting to see what choices or happenings led them to where they are today. There is much nostalgia present in this film, although I do not think that this nostalgia is for the Soviet regime. Like all people, these subjects are nostalgic for their childhoods, when everything seemed better and one simply did not have to deal with any real, mundane problems. Their reflections are very heartwarming. All in all, I highly recommend this film.

richryan316 My Perestroika is a very strong documentary because Robin Hessman really connected with her characters. Characters drive the story, and by immersing herself in their world she was able to fully portray their feelings before, during and after the Russian revolution of the 1990's.My favorite part of the film is that it starts and ends with the first day of school in Moscow. The cyclical nature of this speaks volumes to the struggles in Russia and the nature of life itself. Problems do not simply disappear, their whispers remain in society. I was lucky enough to hear Hessman speak about her film, and she went out of her way to say that Moscow, like New York, cannot represent Russia as a whole. This is a very key point that, if misinterpreted, can change the way you look at the film entirely.

JvH48 Documentaries are rarely powerful enough to let me watch to the end. Firstly, the voice over usually has an I-know-all, scholarly tone of voice that makes me cringe. Secondly, when famous scientists are invited to say a few words, they are commonly limited to (indeed) a few words, since too many long words may tick off the average viewer. Should I go on??This time I gladly make an exception to my rule. The chosen format is perfectly suited to bring the mixed message across. It does not "feel" like a documentary at all. The idea to round up a handful of average people, and letting them picture their own past, is very good. This is mostly due to the fact that a real cross section of the Russian people does the talking, supported by photos and film fragments, partly from their past and partly from television.The concept was not immediately clear from the start, and it required some time to take off. The talking heads (in the positive sense) were filmed in their own environment (home, school, their business, etcetera), and were just themselves telling us about their past and present ideas. This works perfectly, also providing us with some insight in the circumstances these people live(d) in.All in all, I'm glad that I overlooked the fact that this film was announced as a "documentary". This is a format for which new terminology should be invented.