Moscow on the Hudson | | Cast : | Robin Williams, Maria Conchita Alonso | | Director : | Paul Mazursky | | Studio : | Columbia Tri-Star | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Full Screen, Dolby | | Released Date : | April 06, 1984 | | DVD Released Date : | November 27, 2001 | | Language : | Unknown (Subtitled), English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 12, 2005 | | Summary | The Ups and Downs of Freedom | Content
 | "Moscow on the Hudson" is not a perfect movie, but it's definitely a more thoughtful, intelligent movie than you might otherwise expect. Robin Williams' performance as a Russian jazz musician defecting to America is sensitive and full-bodied, full of the talent and charm that make him so good to watch. The story is a rollercoaster of moments which reflect the American experience seen through the eyes of someone thrust suddenly in the middle of it all, in the place where it is at its most insane and most wonderful: New York City.
There's a line near the end of the film which struck me as particuarly adroit: "In Moscow, we fight for a crumb of freedom! Here, you s*** on it!" It really can't be said any better than that, and the movie is filled with moments which illustrate what makes America such a great, rich, and sometimes frightening experience, and what makes freedom such an important, and sometimes dangerous, concept.
Freedom is playing "Take the A-Train" on your sax, on a fire escape in New York City in the middle of the day for all the world to hear. Freedom is getting mugged on a city street at 2 AM. Freedom is getting into a stupid fight with your girlfriend, and making up with her later. Freedom is too many brands of coffee at the store, and not knowing which one to choose. Freedom is getting drunk and laughing your head off. Freedom is choosing not to work, even when you could. Freedom is not knowing what comes next.
"Moscow on the Hudson" is sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and almost always smartly-observed. Mostly, it's a movie about freedom -- not in the meaningless context that we hear politicians and pundits talk about it, but it the real, everyday sense, the things that showcase the idea of freedom in all its liberating, chaotic, messy glory. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 13, 2004 | | Summary | the dawning of glasnost | Content
| This is not a great movie but definitely a sleeper. Robin Williams does a fine job as a jazz musician from Russia who deeply desires the freedom--and gets his chance--to play in America. The scene where he and his bandmates are being briefed by the KGB before traveling to New York is priceless, especially where the head agent pronounces Greenwich Village as "green-Vich Ill-yage". But the most priceless scene is where Robin Williams does defect in that greatest symbol of all American democracy and capitalism, Bloomingdales. From there, the movie teeter-totters between a comedy of cultures and some soppy sentimentality. Still, this is a movie well worth seeing, expecially for those of us who remember the dawning of glasnost |
| Rating | | | Date | May 30, 2004 | | Summary | A snapshot of New York | Content
| After visiting New York for the first time, I had to order this DVD. The film captures the experience I had in NY: Everyone was from someplace else! The hot dog vendors, the cab drivers, hotel staff, store personnel, waiters, carriage drivers, street performers. I loved the scene in the cafe: so-called American waitress, the lawyer from Puerto Rico (or Cuba?), the Asian and the Russians. This may seem like flag waving and some critics might nitpick, but the film truly captures the flavor of NY. Now, whenever I want to go back there again, I watch this film. All the cast was great, plenty of humor, a feel-good movie that celebrates America. Watch for the scene where Robin Williams is being followed. |
| Rating | | | Date | November 01, 2003 | | Summary | Good entertainment | Content
| This is Robin Williams at his best. He displays a variety of talents. There is good comedy as well as a historical perspective. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 21, 2003 | | Summary | Half of the movie was real good. | Content
| I thought this movie started off well, running at a 4 star type presentation, but it slowed down for me and ended as a 2 star, for an average of 3. |
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