I wanted to watch a movie to while away the time on a 2 hour flight, so my main considerations in choosing a title were: it should be less than 90 mins long and it should preferably be something light. This foreign title was available in the flight catalog and since the run-time was given as 87 mins and the summary seemed interesting enough, I gave it a shot.

"30 Svidaniy" or "30 Dates" starts out strongly, as Cupid (the narrator) tells the tale of plain-looking Dasha who is constantly bossed around at work and constantly on the lookout for love. Her "boyfriend" is a musician-wannabe who sticks with Dasha only because he can live off the support of Dasha and her mother. When he finally leaves her, the heartbroken Dasha tries everything from pleading to witchcraft, until finally settling on a shady online self-help program which promises to bring back the love of your life after going on 30 dates. From there, we chronicle her hilarious attempts at finding the requisite amount of dates while also playing host to her neighbor Oleg, who happens to be a professional photographer and womanizer, who ends up in her apartment under wacky circumstances. Oleg is looking for his muse, while Dasha is looking to bring her lover back. Will they find their respective persons?

The movie aims at being a romantic comedy, and it does succeed in a few places. The initial break-up scene, her chaotic workplace and her attempts at learning how to attract the opposite sex are done quite well. The actors are very good and quite natural for their roles. The story is also quite entertaining and there was a lot of scope for humour. However, the film hardly focuses on the 30 dates themselves; instead choosing to focus on Dasha's apartment and office. Moreover, the hinted romance between Dasha and Oleg seems a little forced and quite abrupt as the movie progresses. The narrative track by "Cupid" as well as the cinematography lends it an European indie-flick feel, but it falls short of the premise as the narrative is neither consistent with the screenplay nor is the movie trying to break new ground.

All in all, it is a decent movie which tries to be off-beat but comes back to scarily remind you of Hollywood rom-com movies in places. If it's worth a one time watch, watch it for the above-average performances - and also - it's a Russian rom-com!

Russian cinema is distinguished by its epic scale, philosophical depth, and innovative visual language. It often explores history, ideology, and the human psyche, with a tradition of psychological realism and artistic experimentation. Russian cinema contributed revolutionary theories of editing and later a spiritual approach to film language. It remains known for combining formal experimentation with profound explorations of endurance and belief.

Nikolay Grinko, Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, and Anatoliy Solonitsyn in Stalker (1979)

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

Will Ferrell, Angela Grillo, and Lap-Gei Cheung in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The romance genre features the theme of romantic relationships and emotional connections between characters. These stories focus on the development of love, desire, and intimacy between protagonists, often exploring the challenges, conflicts, and triumphs that arise in their relationships.

Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)

Unlucky Dasha believes that it will help the online training - for a month visit the 30 dates, and then the man of her dreams will find her.

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

2026 Fall TV and Streaming Watch Guide

&quot;The Gentlemen&quot; and &quot;Slow Horses&quot; return this fall, while the &quot;Reacher&quot; spin-off series &quot;Neagley&quot; makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

30 svidaniy

Photos22

Top Cast37

User reviews1

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Box office

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed