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Jamshed Usmonov's Angel on the Right is a languidly paced comedy-drama set in the squalor of the former Soviet Union. While there's a tone of bitter amusement throughout the film, and there are many funny moments, there's also a deep undercurrent of sadness and regret that befits the degraded setting. Grime and dirt seem to coat everything. It's endemic in Asht--the filmmaker's own corrupt and violent hometown. There's irony in Usmonov's decision to cast his own brother (Maruf Pulodzoda as Hamro) and mother (Uktamoi Miyasarova as Halima, Hamro's mother) as such mercenary characters, but their performances are wonderfully understated. These characters' self-serving schemes pale in comparison to the kind of machinations that go on around them. Angel on the Right depicts a prodigal son's return to a world steeped in religious and social traditions that never held power over him. Hamro, the sour ex-con protagonist, has to be physically coerced into acknowledging his debts, and even into taking care of his young son. His sullen attitude is partly understandable as a response to the hypocrisy that surrounds him. While he gains a measure of humanity through his developing relationship with his son, the filmmaker remains resolutely truthful about this thug's essential character. The episodic dark comedy of Angel on the Right occasionally feels slight, but in the end Usmonov's attention to detail and his emotional honesty give the film resonance.