Vodka Lemon (2003)
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94% of critics liked it
(31 reviews) -
68% of users liked it
(1,185 ratings)
A poverty-stricken widower finds new love in a cemetery in this engaging dark comedy from Kurdish filmmaker Hiner Saleem. Hamo (Romen Avinian) is an elderly man living in a small Armenian community which has fallen on hard times since the collapse of the Soviet Union -- where the Soviets at least… More A poverty-stricken widower finds new love in a cemetery in this engaging dark comedy from Kurdish filmmaker Hiner Saleem. Hamo (Romen Avinian) is an elderly man living in a small Armenian community which has fallen on hard times since the collapse of the Soviet Union -- where the Soviets at least provided the villagers with free water and electricity, in their current "free" state the locals have to pay for such things, which is no easy task since work is very difficult to find. Hamo, who is attempting to support himself, his eldest son, and his granddaughter on a meager military pension, has put nearly all his faith in one of his sons, who has supposedly found work in Paris. While Hamo waits for word (and a check) from France, he makes frequent visits to the local cemetery, where he visits his late wife. One day, while paying his respects, he meets Nina (Lala Sarkissian), a widow who similarly comes by to chat with her late husband and works as a barmaid at one of the few taverns left in town. Hamo becomes quite fond of Nina, and she responds in kind, but between his loyalty to his deceased bride and her shyness, neither is naturally inclined to make the first move. Vodka Lemon was the winner of the San Marco Prize at the 2003 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Hiner Saleem
- Genres
- Drama, Art House & International, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Apr 1, 2004 Wide
- Studio
- New Yorker
Critic Reviews
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Ty Burr, Boston Globe
This is frostbitten Fellini -- a film that finds fresh beauty and contentment in the wake of centuries of conquering armies.
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Marta Barber, Miami Herald
Despite some banalities and Romen Avinian's slightly overdone Hamo, Vodka Lemon is a fresh breath of air, warmer than the icy village in which it takes place. You'll leave the theater with a wink and a smile.
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Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Objectively, it's a sad story of yearning and hardship, but it's structured and performed like a comedy. As life is.
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Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle
Director Hiner Saleem has created a magical movie that veers, even within scenes, from love story to tragedy to comic relief.
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Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
Manages to chill our bones while delighting that part of us that relishes absurdity.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
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Cast
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Romen Avinian
as Hamo
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Lala Sarkissian
as Nina
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Ivan Franek
as Dilovan
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Rouzanne Mesropian
as Zine
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Zahal Karielachvili
as Giano
- Rosanna Vite Mesropian
- Astrik Avaguian
- Armen Marouthian
