A Man from the Boulevard des Capucines (1987)

Good movie but grossly overrated

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

This was both a surrealist old-west comedy, and at the same time a crookedly-philosophical postmodern commentary on the power of art -- and it's a huge success as both. As a basis for the comedy, there is a plentiful supply of plain good gags, from the cowboys dutifully repairing the saloon after they have destroyed it in a bar fight, to the "That was my steak!" running gag, to the perfectly stereotypical Indian Chief soberly declaring that the cowboys must never have heard of Charles Darwin. The cowboys are, of course, perfectly self-conscious movieland cowboys - - hard-drinking and hard-fighting reductio ad absurdum. And they're utterly unfamiliar with the concept of art. So when Mr First arrives with the Absurdist premise and delivers cinema, it's films themselves that transform the cowboys from their unabashedly film-sourced stereotypical personalities. Is it a change for the better? Like all changes that art brings, that's open to interpretation. But it leads to the sight of an evil pastor declaring movies "the opium of the people."And, of course, in an artless world where art is introduced, it has a literal, magical effect. The undertaker is out work because people don't want to die any more (he's a former philosopher, but that skill wasn't so much needed on the frontier), and our heroine wants a baby immediately after kissing -- because that's how it is in the movie. And, of course -- in a wonderful moment that perhaps encapsulates how this film makes memorable philosophical points almost casually while it jokes -- when the building is burnt down the movies and apparatus are undamaged because (in a possible nod to Bulgakov), quite literally "art does not burn" ("iskusstvo ne gorit")!And while Mr First's influence may have been purifying, we see that Mr Second arrives at the end to put the money into film (where we know it remains), returning our cowboy heroes to their debouched ways. So art is powerful, but perhaps equivocal in it's power. And it ends with that cynical note, and a cheerful song (the music, by the way, its all extremely catchy). The performers are excellent too; this is the third film of Andrey Mironov's that I've seen, and he keeps impressing me as a comedy performer. I'd almost call this obligatory for those who (like me) have a taste for Absurdist comedy and reflexive postmodern wit. And for those who just looking fro something funny, my recommendation still stands.

This movie is hot. It seems to be the only real representative of a serious cowboy flick in Russian cinema. And this one makes us proud. It was directed by a woman! The plot goes here. The very beginning of the 20th century. Wild West. A cinema devotee - Mr First - comes to an American town where everybody drinks, fights, and swears. Mr First introduces the world of black-and-white cinema to the cowboys and the life changes. All the good movies he shows them have a direct effect on their living. The population of the town stops all the drinking, fighting, etc. The people start to respect each other and to behave in a good manner. Mr First leaves the town for some time. During his absence some freak comes to town - Mr Second - who is also a cinema devotee, but he is into some nasty types of movies. As a result of watching those "nasties" the people turn into violent morons again.It has got plenty of fist-fighting, swearing, numerous shootings, easy catchy songs, lots of nice women, tons of whiskey being consumed, hundreds of cigars being smoked over and over, macho-Indians and of course macho-cowboys. Those crazy fights and quarrels in the saloon alone deserve an Oscar. On top of it it has a clever story to deliver. All this makes the film one of the very best movies of our time.Please, throw away something from the IMDb top 250 and put this one onto the top list. That will be fair. Think it over: a girl directs a western, makes it in an insane manner with lots of fighting and shooting, and what is more, makes it thought-provoking. This deserves the ultimate worldwide recognition. No wonder we all went to cinema multiple times to watch it again and again. Even the tough American flicks of the 1980-s could not overwhelm our perception of this picture.A goof: in one scene the drunk one-eyed cowboy looses his band and becomes a normal goggler - that's ridiculous.10 out of 10, very enjoyable for all generations and all nationalities. Thanks for attention.

Really funny, sweet, and moving take on the American western done by a soviet female director. Mr. First comes to a small town in the wild west to introduce the population to the art of cinematography. He brings a projector and an array of silent movies, including romance and comedy. Rowdy cowboys discover a different way of life and try to improve their own existence. Amazing cast, Tabakov is especially endearing as a saloon owner torn between greed and love for the movies. Surprisingly effective fight scenes could probably challenge those of the American counterparts. Karachentsov gives it his best with some of the best fight moves I've seen. Mironov is great, as usual, as an idealist out to change the world and bring enlightenment to the wild wild west. Highly recommended as a comedy, romance, western, and a meditation on the role of art and mass entertainment in our society.

That's a beautiful comedy with a number of Russian film stars. The plot is rather unusual for a comedy western. One of the first cinematographers(his name is Mr.First performed by Andrey Mironov) arrives in a sleepy Wild West town and brings a primitive film projector with a number of bobbins of first Chaplin-like films. Every night he shows films in the local saloon and his arrival has a dramatical effect on the local cowboys(probably "cowboys" will seem rather strange for real Americans, but don't forget the film is made in Russia and they also have some stereotypes about the Wild West). After his arrival they stop fighting with each other,stop speaking bad words, start behaving very politely("like real gentlemen"), and in the evenings come to the saloon to have a drink of ... milk, instead of whiskey!!! After solving many problems and passing through a wall of misunderstanding Mr.First makes a lot of friends and eventually the local beauty Diana falls in love with him. The film has a lot of funny episodes and twists e.g. the local Comanches start the war with the cowboys only to have a possibility to go to the movie saloon as well.It's really worth watching the film wherever you live.