Romanza rusa: A bit dusty, but charming enough

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a soft spot for pre-war dramas that move at the speed of a creeping fog. If you need pacing or logic, steer clear. But if you like watching Imperio Argentina stare longingly out of windows while the world crumbles around her, you are in the right place. 🎥

The whole thing feels very much like a stage play that got lost on its way to a soundstage. There is this weird, heavy atmosphere that never really lets up, like everyone is holding their breath waiting for a tragedy that’s already happened.

Oddly specific things I noticed

• The lighting in the cafe scene is bizarrely harsh—everyone looks like they’re being interrogated by a desk lamp.
• The background extras in the party scene look like they’d rather be literally anywhere else.
• There is a moment where the dialogue just… stops. For like, five seconds. Was it an edit? A mistake? I loved it.

It reminds me a bit of the heavy-handed longing found in Le crépuscule du coeur, where the silence does more work than the actual lines. People say less and do more with their eyebrows, which is honestly a lost art.

Rafael Martínez is fine, I guess. He mostly just stands there looking rugged and sad, which is probably what the script called for, but it gets a little repetitive after the first hour. You can almost feel the movie trying to convince you that his suffering is profound, but it mostly just feels like he needs a good nap.

There is this one shot of a letter being read where the camera stays on the paper for way too long. It felt like I was being forced to learn cursive by a ghost. Weird, right?

I wouldn't call this a masterpiece, and it definitely lacks the zip of something like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. But it’s got a personality. It’s grumpy, it’s dramatic, and it doesn't care if you're bored. That’s kind of refreshing in a weird way.

The ending just sort of happens. No grand reveal. Just a fade to black while the music swells a little too loud. I didn't hate it, but I didn't exactly walk away feeling changed. It's just a movie that exists, and sometimes that's enough for a Tuesday night. 🎞️