Piter FM, a 2006 film directed by Oksana Bychkova, was a film that I really was not that interested in. The main character Masha works at Piter FM, the local radio station in Saint Petersburg. Her mysterious counterpart Maxim comes into the picture when Masha loses her cellphone, he being the one to pick it up. The two go on playing phone tag for the entirety of the movie, eventually falling in love with one another. It is near the end of the film that Masha leaves her fiancé Kostya and attempts to meet Maxim, only to have their only connection (Masha's cellphone) fall into the river. It is by a mere stroke of luck that Maxim calls Piter FM in an attempt to relay a message to Masha, a message that Masha recieves herself. She replys simply "Is that you, Maxim?" and the film ends. Although it was a light-hearted comedy, a throwback to the beginning of the class with Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!, I honestly must say that I was not a big fan of the film for several reasons.
One such reason was the sheer predictability of the film's progression. With the introduction of both Masha and Maxim, it was obvious that they would end up together. The film makes Kostya look like a controlling fiancé and Maxim look like the supportive friend. It is through watching many American romantic comedies that one can ascertain that a lot of times, the girl ends up with the close friend after some trials and tribulations.
However, the one thing that actually made this movie somewhat entertaining to watch was the way in which it personified Saint Petersburg. The film made the city seem like a suburbian version of a large city; the way in which there was action all around, yet with nature still pervading in the majority of the scenes. The one thing that this film made me think is how much I want to go to Saint Petersburg, to vacation, if not live. I felt a strong connnection to the way in which Piter FM exemplified the complexities of Saint Petersburg and also the ways in which the city is a great place to live.
I too very much like the way St. Petersburg becomes, to use your word, personified--in fact it helps make up for the relative lack of serious or involved plot, as far as I'm concerned. And such lightheartedness on the parts of Russians is a relatively rare and recent phenomenon--and one can't help wondering whether its a new trend that has only just begun there...
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with your sentiments towards the film. What I don't understand about the film is why Masha didn't simply tell Maxim to find her at the radio station. It would have made the process of finding each other much easier.
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