Lucky Man

23-year-old Vanya Nechkin was a great driver, and a car mechanic from God. He loved life, and women, provided vigorous joke and elegant conversation. He could pretend to be an Italian tenor and a traffic inspector, understood human weaknesses and forgave a lot. But if he saw injustice, he was ready to tear the bastard’s throat out. He came up with a risky trade for himself: he destroyed cars.

Directed by Valentin Mishatkin, Lucky Man leans on a strong ensemble — Evgeniy Lazarev, Elena Safonova, Nikolay Stotskiy — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1988.