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Vor is a perfect example of what characterizes many of the films that get nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film: a sincere little movie placed in the historical past, told through the memories of a child, warm and sentimental and perfectly pleasant, and almost completely forgettable. This is the sort of foreign film that seems to have been made with an eye toward international distribution. But this is not entirely a criticism. Vor may not offer anything new, but it is an enjoyable picture in its own way. Director and writer Pavel Chukhrai underscores the transitory nature of the characters' lives by the constant presence of trains, and he does have a knack for capturing characters that feel true even within the confines of a conventional story. Ultimately, what holds Vor together are the central performances by the three stars. Vladimir Mashkov combines sexual charisma with an edgy personality that makes it look as if he is always on the verge of a burst of violence; Yekaterina Rednikova conveys the fragile personality of a woman who is able to endure what she needs to in order to raise her son, but she also clings all too easily to a domineering man; and Misha Philipchuk impressively carries much of the film as the young Sanya. One suspects that he doesn't give a performance, but rather one was coaxed out of him by the director; but regardless of how it happened, he still pulls off the important scenes. However, all three are too attractive and healthy to fully convey the sort of desperate lives these characters have lived. Vor narrowly averts being bogged down in its own saccharine nature and makes for easily digestible entertainment.