Funny and sad look at the last days of the can do American spirit

jeremy3

This movie reminds me of how much things have changed in the last 25 years. This movie was still in the days when there was the naive and simple belief that America could be a "great place". Robin Williams brilliantly portrays the Russian circus musician who ends up defecting. Williams plays Alexander with great sensitivity and humor. Russia is portrayed almost as it was. America is not perfect. The black store security guard he meets has a family that hasn't found work in years. Alexander has to work really hard to make a new life for himself. Still, the movie had the Capra-esquire belief that a new immigrant can find happiness in America. I am sad to say that those days are gone. The idea that he and his girlfriend can work it out, and that Alexander can find success in life, has been replaced by "political correctness". Movies like Moscow On The Hudson remind us that the naive and simple days weren't really so bad. We definitely need to recapture that spirit again nowadays.

score 7/10

jeremy3 5 April 2009

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2048028/