Critic Reviews

• J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

  This isn't quite the human drama Pedersen might wish, but it's compelling enough, and more important, it gives us a look at conservative Russian politics at their most ruthless and vindictive.

• John Powers, NPR

  What makes Putin's Kiss interesting goes beyond Masha's personal rise and fall. For starters, it offers a fresh glimpse into how Putin's Russia actually works.

• V.A. Musetto, New York Post

  "Putin's Kiss'' is more than just the portrait of a naive young woman. It's a frightening look at Putin's warped version of democracy.

• Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

  A portentous, rather creepy documentary that masks its lack of historical context with an atmosphere of accumulating threat.

• Benjamin Mercer, Village Voice

  Though Masha's courage is considerable, her change of heart finally feels too nuanced for Pedersen's streamlined political-drama treatment...

• David Fear, Time Out New York

  Innocence was lost; so, apparently, was much of the insightful commentary.

• Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru

  Often fascinating and provocative.

• Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film

  There are complex machinations at work here - but there's always a sense of the surface being skimmed in favour of telling Drokova's story.

• Ron Wilkinson, Monsters and Critics

  In the end, the viewer sees that life in Russia is a complicated morass of political dogma and tough ethical choices. Not completely unlike the USA.

• Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews

  Offers a sobering portrait of the world's troubled resurgent largest country, in particular of its pliable rising generation that has come up after the fall of Communism.

• Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

  Documentarian Lise Birk Pedersen affords an informative and intriguing look into Russian society via the fresh face of Vladimir Putin's propaganda youth brigade NASHI ("OURS").

• Alison Willmore, AV Club

  While it comes across as simplistic, it's also achingly wistful about political awakenings being just a matter of talking to and finding empathy for the other side.

• Kam Williams, AALBC.com

  An eye opening expose' not to missed, which reveals a 'New Russia' that looks a lot like the 'Old Russia.'

• Andrew Schenker, Slant Magazine

  Reduces its complex portrait of contemporary Russia and its para-governmental organizations to a simple morality play.

Read all 14 critic reviews