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IMDb 7.7 16+ HD

Messenger Boy

1986 1 h 28 min Melodrama · Drama · Comedy Курьер

A cheeky courier turns everyday encounters into absurd, sometimes painful games in this 1980s Russian comedy-drama about a young man provoking the adult world.

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About the film

What it’s about

Ivan, a school graduate waiting for his military call-up, works as a courier for a newspaper. He lives with his divorced mother and spends his days turning ordinary events into unpredictable, often hilarious incidents that unsettle the adults around him. Through his job he meets Professor Kuznetsov and his daughter Katya; to provoke the professor, Ivan claims he is having an affair with her, and Katya unexpectedly backs him up.

What hooks you

Karen Shakhnazarov directs from his own story, with Fyodor Dunayevsky as Ivan and Anastasiya Nemolyaeva as Katya. The film won a special prize at the Moscow International Film Festival and was voted best film by Soviet Screen magazine in 1988. It also marks the first appearance of breakdance and robot dance on Soviet screens.

Who it’s for

It will appeal to those who enjoy coming-of-age stories with a rebellious streak, sharp generational clashes, and humour that can turn bitter without warning.

Technical details
Country
Soviet Union
Year
1986
Genres
Melodrama, Drama, Comedy
Running time
1h 28min
Age rating
16++
MPAA
R
World premiere
Dec 29, 1986
Box office (world)$20,192

Ratings

MOVIE․ONE · 731 votes
7.9 /10
IMDb
7.76,700
Kinopoisk
8.0290,825
Your rating —
— /10
1 · Didn't land 10 · Masterpiece

Creative team

All 10
Director Karen Shakhnazarov
Starring
  1. 01 Fyodor Dunayevsky Ivan, courier
  2. 02 Anastasiya Nemolyaeva Katya
  3. 03 Oleg Basilashvili Semyon Kuznetsov, Katya's father
  4. 04 Inna Churikova Lidiya Alekseevna Miroshnikova, Ivan's mother
  5. 05 Svetlana Kryuchkova Zinaida Pavlovna, editorial secretary
  6. 06 Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyornyy Stefan Afanasyevich Makarov, Ivan's boss
  7. 07 Vladimir Menshov Oleg Nikolayevich, guest at the birthday party
  8. 08 Aleftina Evdokimova Katya's mother
  9. 09 Alika Smekhova Nina

Trivia

All facts 8
  1. The film is based on the novella «The Courier» by Karen Shakhnazarov.
  2. Best film according to the poll by Sovetsky Ekran magazine in 1988.
  3. The film took 6th place in the list of box office leaders in 1987.
  4. Fyodor Dunayevsky was brought to the audition by his former classmate Anastasia Nemolyaeva.
  5. Breakdancing and the so-called robot dance (a style of breakdancing) shown in the episodes of the film were the first appearance of these dances on the big screen in the USSR.
  6. Dmitry Pevtsov, Dmitry Kharatyan, Igor Vernik, and Vyacheslav Nevinny Jr. auditioned for the role of Ivan.

Awards and nominations

1 win 2 nominations

All
  1. 1 win Moscow International Film Festival 1987 · 1 nomination
Top wins
  1. Special Award Karen Shakhnazarov Moscow International Film Festival · 1987

Also nominated Nika1

Reviews

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