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Pavel Lounguine's arresting profile of a bizarre friendship is set against the misery of post-perestroika Russia. When jazz musician Piotr Mamonov stiffs cabdriver Piotr Zaitchenko for a large fare, it's the beginning of a very odd relationship. Although the cabdriver has forced the sax player into virtual indentured servitude to get his money, this dedicated fascist finds himself strangely attracted to the other man's immersion in his music and utter lack of discipline. Lounguine clearly intends these characters to represent the old era of repression and the burgeoning age of freedom, but both are so repellent in completely different ways that they become completely absorbing as individuals. The director also provides a tour of the Moscow of the early '90s, where shortages, poverty, alcoholism, and lawlessness are the norm, and one understands why just being able to survive is an uphill battle for both characters. The film also alludes to Russia's notorious anti-semitism in the cabdriver's remarks toward the musician, who happens to be a Jew. Lounguine wrings considerable humor from the desperate pair, and even some irony, as the musician, indifferent toward money, hits it big in America, the land of the materialistic cabdriver's dreams. The film is a fascinating journey into a disturbing reality.