The Most Charming and Attractive

Nadya Klyuyeva works at a research institute, is single, and draws nobody's attention. Her friend Susanna, who studied psychology, takes charge: appearance, walk, speech, eye contact. The target is the most sought-after man at work. Nadya does not even like him; the point is not the man but winning. Gerald Bezhanov's film takes aim at the popular psychology and self-improvement language spreading through the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Susanna's advice is presented as though it were a serious method, and that is exactly what makes it funny. The film simultaneously shows what is expected of women: Nadya is good at her job, and her circle does not count that as enough. Irina Muravyova plays Nadya, Tatyana Vasilyeva plays Susanna, and Aleksandr Abdulov plays the man in question. Who it's for: Viewers curious about Soviet comedy, workplace satire, and the atmosphere of the 1980s. Who it's not for: Some of the humour rests on the gender assumptions of its time and is uncomfortable from here. The plot is also simple.