The film 'Bar Hopping', a new comedy from the director of 'Young Man', has been released in Russian theaters. About how first impressions can sometimes be deceiving – in our review.

Four men have miraculously carried their friendship through decades. True, much of the credit goes to the infantile Semyon (Pavel Tabakov). It is he who organizes all the drinking sessions, the intervals between which only increase over the years. On the anniversary of their friendship, the guy decides to once again throw his friends into the embrace of alcoholic frenzy. During an exciting event called 'bar hopping,' Misha (Alexander Alyabyev), wanting to leave early, persuades the other guys to get Semyon drunk to the point of unconsciousness. However, the latter has an equally ambitious and reckless plan for his friend.

'Bar Hopping' is the new work of Alexander Fomin, director of the film 'Young Man' with the same Pavel Tabakov in the role of a thirty-year-old goofball. Two years ago, his debut film received a relatively warm reception from both critics and audiences. Not that it was some revelation in the segment of domestic comedies, but against the backdrop of various 'Directly Kakh' and 'Vasya Not Himself', it looked quite attractive.

Fomin's second directorial work, of course, cannot be called ideal either, but credit where it's due: such things don't come out on our screens often. I don't want to jinx it, but it seems that the ranks of talented followers of Karimov have grown. Although the inspiration here is far from obvious. The 'Armageddon' by Wright and Vinterberg mentioned in the film could also have been a starting point.

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Incidentally, Tabakov Jr. and company will clearly be stronger than Pegg and Frost from the final chapter of the 'Cornetto' trilogy. The Russian guys aimed for a marathon of twenty bars, while the English barely managed twelve. Of course, one could chalk it up to them being constantly hindered by alien body snatchers, but who cares about those lame excuses?

Another analogy that practically begs to be made during viewing is the franchise 'What Men Talk About'. Fomin's film has several intersections with the cult series of films by 'Kvartet I'. First and foremost, these are the inventive dramatizations occurring in the characters' heads. The heroes constantly intrude into others' flashbacks, ironizing the narrator. And, of course, the profound yet simple conversations about relationships, shared past, and the values of friendship are also present here.

It's clear that the quartet from 'Bar Hopping' lacks the charm that the members of 'Kvartet I' had. But the new film has one advantage over the inexorably aging (or, as it's fashionable to say, 'skufing') franchise. Fomin's film exists in the conjuncture of 2024 with its relevant memes and social phenomena. However, whether this aspect is a merit is for you to decide.

The fact is that the film is packed with so many references to the time of action that it starts to resemble a conversation between a thirty-year-old and a Zoomer, where the former tries to be on the same wavelength as the latter. References to internet freak Podnebesny, blogger Litvin, the series 'The Boy's Word', and Ivleeva's 'naked party' are certainly important strokes to the portrait (or still life) of the current strange era, but it's clearly overkill.

For lovers of more ancient memes, a couple are also provided. Some of them can even cause a mild bout of nostalgia and unlock long-forgotten words in memory. However, a fleeting sense of embarrassment should not be ruled out either.

'Bar Hopping' truly reveals itself only in those moments when it drops the game of being current. Then the viewer understands that the authors of the film are at least talented and erudite people. Since the main characters by age 30 possess some kind of knowledge baggage (and Tabakov's character even works as a teacher), their humor is correspondingly clever—with nods to Pelevin and cult films.

The talent of the creators can also be recognized in the absolutely wonderful editing, which successfully highlights the comedic situations the men get into. But the main thing that distinguishes 'Bar Hopping' from many other Russian comedies about alcohol parties is its heartfelt and truly touching message.

Even though the script doesn't reach for the stars and all storylines are predictable before their conclusion, it's still interesting to follow the adventures of the characters, and you want to sympathize with them. In the characters and their actions, the viewer may inadvertently recognize themselves. Especially since the canonical structure of the quartet in the case of male friendship is a common phenomenon.

In his time, BadComedian in his review of 'Gorko!' by Kryzhnikov mocked the argument of film defenders that went like this: 'it's funny because it's like in real life.' So, despite certain flaws and mistakes, this expression, which has become an internet meme, applies to 'Bar Hopping' without any sarcastic intonation, and that's worth a lot!

Incidentally, Alexander Fomin himself appears in the film. He plays the fifth friend who got married right after school and left the gang. To prove to the others that marriage is a turning point in life, Semyon decides to call him and invite him to participate in bar hopping. This character is associated with a fairly predictable but extremely funny storyline.

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