Firebird

Even though this beautifully shot and generally well-acted British-Estonian co-production is based on a memoir, it feels too PBS polite, as if the edges have been rubbed away from the real story to appeal to as wide an audience as possible

Prior and Zagorodnii are both so watchable, and their chemistry so electric, that it’s easy to get swept away in their romance. Historical accuracy be damned.

A swooningly romantic love story.

With every ache measured and spelled out, the film’s dogged striving for poetry too often leaves it feeling disappointingly prosaic.

It’s a deeply felt tale made more so by the inherently dicey, if not impossible, nature of Sergey and Roman’s love.

The dominant creative force is cinematographer Mait Mäekivi, who gives the blues and reds of the uniforms and the flags on display an early-Technicolor sort of gleam.

One can glean an earnestness from telling this true tale of a romantic entanglement that forced its participants apart, but leaning on historical context does not negate the formulaic execution.

...this all becomes very heavy-handed and very on-the-nose.

It thrives on soft power, seeking to tell its truth through quiet emotion rather than fiery drama...When you’ve got a love story this genuine and sincere, it both earns and deserves your attention.

A direct, heartfelt drama based on the true story of ex-soldier Sergey Fetisov, told without a speck of cynicism or irony.