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Moscow on the Hudson

Moscow on the Hudson

Comedy · Drama · Romance · 1984

A Russian circus visits the US. A clown wants to defect, but doesn't have the nerve. His saxophone playing friend however comes to the decision to defect in the middle of Bloomingdales. He is befriended by the black security guard and falls in love with the Italian immigrant from behind the perfume counter. We follow his life as he works his way through the American dream and tries to find work as a musician.

Movie details

Moscow on the Hudson

“Vladimir Ivanoff walks into a department store to buy blue jeans, walks out with a girl friend, an immigration lawyer and a buddy. His life and theirs will never be the same again.”

1984 Comedy · Drama · Romance 1h 55m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

A Russian circus visits the US. A clown wants to defect, but doesn't have the nerve. His saxophone playing friend however comes to the decision to defect in the middle of Bloomingdales. He is befriended by the black security guard and falls in love with the Italian immigrant from behind the perfume counter. We follow his life as he works his way through the American dream and tries to find work as a musician.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Moscow on the Hudson?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Paul Mazursky

Written by

Paul Mazursky · Leon Capetanos

Robin Williams

Robin Williams

Vladimir Ivanoff

María Conchita Alonso

María Conchita Alonso

Lucia Lombardo

Cleavant Derricks

Cleavant Derricks

Lionel Witherspoon

Alejandro Rey

Alejandro Rey

Orlando Ramirez

Savely Kramarov

Savely Kramarov

Boris, KGB agent

Elya Baskin

Elya Baskin

Anatoly Cherkasov

Oleg Rudnik

Oleg Rudnik

Yuri

Court is in session

Put Moscow on the Hudson on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.