In Tranzit

"Just because you weren't a Nazi doesn't mean you can't be a total asshole"

This movie has a lot going on.  Basically the story is this: a transport of Nazi POWs arrive at a Soviet camp run by women. 

A better summary is the one I pulled from Wikipedia:  "The film tells the story of German prisoners of war who are mistakenly taken to a Russian transit women's prison, which temporarily contains women before they are sent to the Gulag. The prison's wardens are women, who want to take revenge on the German soldiers who killed their loved ones during the war. As time passes, the female wardens overcome their hatred for the prisoners and begin to treat them as ordinary people, including engaging in intimate relationships with them."

So, yeah, that.  Beyond that main premise, there are quite a few subplots which make the film feel all over the place and it was difficult for me to focus on the characters, which means it was difficult to care about them.  Kind of like....imagine "Love Actually" except in a prison camp during the Russian winter.
And no Rowan Atkinson.

The shining star of the entire movie is of course Malkovich, who plays a soviet official named Pavlov, who is kind of a jerk.  But the way he looks in a uniform excuses any bad behavior.  You go on and be as jerky as you want to be, Pavlov.  Just look good doing it.

I actually enjoyed watching the film.  I like things set in that era, and this one is a different take on a certain type of film that has been done so many times.  The location was great, and I really felt like I could get a sense of how cold it must have been.

There are almost no moments of humor to break up the depressing subject matter.  The only one I recall occurs at this fancy ball type thing.  People are dancing.  This one Russian female officer extends her hand to Pavlov, inviting him to dance.  He turns and walks off.  He doesn't even decline, he just leaves while she tries to play that off.

It ended oddly.  It's a sorta happy ending, but with these types of films, it's not entirely upbeat.  Worth watching, mostly due to Malkovich, but a compelling story even without him.