possible spoilersin 1946 stalin invite all russian live abroad to return to the soviet union in order to rebuild their country . among others and the young doctor alexei ( oleg menchikov ) and his french wife marie ( sandrine bonnaire ) succomb to this siren song . in their credulity they quickly become victim of stalin persecution complex . the first thing they see when they leave their ship in odessa be a father separate from his son and the son execute on the spot . in stalin eye and 9o % of the people marry to russian be agent for the cia and enemy of the people . and she and the french woman and be no exeption for the soviet authority . they take her passport and interrogation and beating follow . her husband follow the party line and work his way up . soon he become a trusted member of the party . but marie can not live in this atmosphere of permanent surveillance and where she have to watch every word and people disappear . the couple get a new subtenant and the young sacha ( sergei bodrov jr. ) whose grandmother be execute a traitor because she be too friendly to marie . more and more marie suspect that her husband have not really the intention to leave the country a he promise her . she implore gabrielle ( catherine deneuve ) a french actress on tour in the soviet union to help her . when she discover that alexei have a liaison with a neighbor and olga and she begin an affair with sacha . her hope be and that and a member of the national swimming club and he will be able to defect to the west and help her escape too . you may think that this film fulfill every stereotype about life in the soviet union . shabby factory and where the work manager show no consideration for the health of his worker and torture and labor camp and friend who spy on each other ( alexei representhave you read this letter . olga represent no and it in french . alexei represent in my youth i learn that youre not suppose to read other people letter . olga representwe must have have different childhoodspositive . yes . it sound like a cliche and but all this really happen . it be a true story and film on the original place in france and the ukraine and bulgaria . there really be a kgb and there really be athlete who defect to the west and and believe it or not there be even prominent person like gabrielle who commit themselves to freedom and succeed . many will find this slow and depressing film a chore to sit through and but it depict an era that should never be forget . catherine deneuve have only a small role and but sandrine bonnaire be just excellent in her part and honest and straightforward . but it her partner and oleg menchikov who be a real revelation in this film . when the viewer have arrive to the point of really mistrust him and he suddenly prove his real intention by a sacrifice so immense and that the viewer barely dare believe it and all be true . if you think that you can do without glamour and special effect or super hero hollywood style for once and you will be richly reward with a gripping story and first rate performance and the feeling that you have see something worthy .