User reviews

First off, I have to applaud the bravery of the western men and eastern European women who agreed to be filmed during their search for a partner. It can't have been easy, knowing how they risked appearing to an audience.

That aside, I think the stars of this documentary would be the first to agree that something has gone wrong in their lives that they have resorted to such unorthodox measures. Understanding the desperation and deep loneliness of the men is key to understanding how they can be deceived by both themselves and the morally bankrupt businesses and individuals that exploit that loneliness for their own aims. The documentary-makers sympathetically but astutely expose these issues, through uncompromising filming and pertinent interview questions.

The question the interviewers keep returning to - what is love - is a thought-provoking one that perhaps has no satisfactory answer. I'd suggest that the men asked in the documentary revealed the extent of their disconnection from reality and self-deception with their naive and romantic answers. While viewers may not be able to say what love is by the end of the documentary, I think they'll be more confident in saying what love isn't.

One reviewer stated that the entire purpose of this film was to expose what a scam the entire "mail order bride" industry was. I completely disagree. I think the point of the movie was to explore and show the different experiences and motives of the men and women using these services, which it did quite well. Some of these men seemed to have unrealistic expectations, looking for a super model type wife even though they themselves were overweight and older, but a couple seemed very genuine and sincere in their search to connect with someone. It was disheartening to see one man who was outright scammed and misled by a woman, and two more who were likely scammed. Two of the couples do get married, and the bond between one of them is quite evident and they seemed very genuine and in love--it was cute to watch them. The nicest thing about this film is that it shows the honest perspectives of both sides and even some of the parents, and it's very nice that it follows the story for quite some time (at least a year, if not more--I didn't keep track) to show how some of the relationships didn't work out while others seemed to get better.

I'm writing this because there is only one other user review and clearly that person didn't watch the movie before reviewing it.

While not ground breaking in any way, this doc was light and fun and yet did elicit an emotional investment. There were "good" people and "bad" people and I did want to know what happened to them all. There were happy and sad story lines, and occasionally one person would say or express just one small thing that exposed their soul to you in an unexpected manner (hence my comment about the editing).

If you're curious by nature and looking for a way to pass the time, I'd recommend this.

So it didn't seem real, genuine the whole set up The men seem sincere about their motives and expectations, but the women did not... Just a feeling... Ohhh, the guy that got married, his kiss, oh no, I don't know, not sexy at all... LOL

So, from a female perspective, I honestly don't think these women were sincere. There was something fake or forced about them. Even the one that was married, I don't know.

Arizona Sunshine

This was entertaining. It was a cringeworthy trainwreck I could not look away from.

The level of insanity taking place, was matched by a very real desperation by both sides involved. The documentary followed interesting couples, that were as unique as they were crazy.

The most interesting parts all took place in Ukraine. The addition of translators to these dates added an awkward element. But nothing could be more awkward than that kiss - if you watch, you'll know what I'm talking about.

The sheer money being thrown around in the pursuit of happiness was just as astonishing. I thought the documentary makers did a good job of showing a somewhat balanced story regarding both sides.

This documentary was a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. If you enjoy cringeworthy reality TV shows, or people awkwardly trying to find love - then you'll love this. I certainly feel a lot better about my own love life.

There is no documentary here. There is no drama here. It is only a long advert in favor of one company doing tours in the Western part of what used to be the Soviet Union. And their happy cases. See? If you feel you are better than those guys, surely you will find some tall blond woman ready to serve you.

Contact me with Questions, Comments or Suggestions ryitfork @ bitmail.ch