If, as the old joke goes, the archetypal Socialist realist romance followed the formula “Boy gets tractor,” Stanislav Govorukhin’s Jazz Style has introduced a new master plot for the new-moneyed, post-Soviet generation: girl gets motorcycle. Such is the climax of this gentle, visually rich, and narratively underwhelming film, starring Olga Kras’ko as Ira, a theatre actress venturing unsuccessfully into cinema, and Michal Zebrowski as Sergei, the overpaid novelist-turned-screenwriter who falls for her at first sight. With his relaxed charisma (and the gentle growl of a Polish George Clooney), Zebrowski’s character effortlessly captures the hearts of Ira’s mother and sister as well – setting the stage for a prolonged quadrangular intrigue.[...]
Muireann Maguire, kinokultura.com