Messenger Boy

1986 1h 28m RU

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 153

DramaRomanceComedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Ivan Mirosnikov, a cheeky young man in the Gorbachev era, is trying to figure out what to do with his life (he's not in college, and the 2-year mandatory military service is looming large ahead of him). Meanwhile, he lives with his divorced mother, and works as a courier at a Russian newspaper. Through his job, he meets patronizing Professor Kuznetzov and his rebellious daughter Katya. To annoy the professor, Ivan claims to have an affair with Katya. To his surprise, Katya backs his story up.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Fyodor Dunayevsky
Ivan
Anastasiya Nemolyaeva
Katya
Oleg Basilashvili
Katya's father
Inna Churikova
Ivan's mother
Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyornyy
Ivan's chief
Vladimir Menshov
Guest on Katya's birthday
Svetlana Kryuchkova
Zinaida Pavlovna
Alika Smekhova
Nina

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Karen Shakhnazarov
Writers: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy
Languages: Russian
Countries: Soviet Union

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

40 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Karen Shakhnazarov, shot by Nikolay Nemolyaev. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Eduard Artemyev. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Lidiya Milioti shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Fyodor Dunayevsky and Anastasiya Nemolyaeva and Oleg Basilashvili carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0091364 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Karen Shakhnazarov directs. Nikolay Nemolyaev behind the camera. Eduard Artemyev scores. Lidiya Milioti cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Soviet Union. Dialogue in Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
240 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Karen Shakhnazarov, shot by Nikolay Nemolyaev. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Eduard Artemyev. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Lidiya Milioti shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Fyodor Dunayevsky and Anastasiya Nemolyaeva and Oleg Basilashvili carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0091364 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.