Noth County Times, CA
Jan 12 2005
Snow, love, change in subtly amusing ‘Vodka Lemon’
By: DAN BENNETT – Staff Writer
The mellow, humorous “Vodka Lemon” brings both joy and low-key
heartache from an unlikely locale.
The setting is the Armenian badlands following the Soviet departure,
a snowy place where life is rough for some folks no longer receiving
Soviet subsidies. The central character is the elderly widower Hamo
(Romo Havinian), who is barely making it, but maintains his optimism,
knowing that a son who moved to France for work may soon send money.
Hamo rides the bus to the cemetery every day to visit the grave of
his beloved wife. He shyly befriends a widow who is also there every
day, and romance beckons for the lonely couple. Problems when the
money from the son never shows up, but with Hamo’s spirit renewed by
the arrival of new love, hope lingers.
“Vodka Lemon,” the title coming from the name of an empty bar in the
film, is a funky, often funny —- though bittersweet —- ode to
people both recovering from and seeking change. Blessed with unusual
visuals, amusing sidebar characters and optimism despite the odds,
the film is a welcome little oddball.