Visitors Review

(2012-05-26 00:40)

Thank God we get to keep Rosenthal.

It's rare and wondrous when a film manages to not only entertain but educate. "Exporting Raymond," is at once, a comedic tour de force, an inside view into a culture we were at a time obsessed with, yet know so little about, and even more, at it's core, it's a loving, moving, reverent look at family. Who better to take us there than Everybody Loves Raymond's, Phil Rosenthal? Rosenthal shares his process of trying to facilitate the translation of his hugely successful, very American sitcom, into a colorless, humorless culture, where the focus is appearance and pecking order, over substance and talent. All the elements are available, but structure and inflexibility create a subpar product that Phil could never, would never tolerate. The contrast of Rosenthal's ongoing brilliant expose of the human condition with this superficial and awkward counterpart is stunning. "Exporting Raymond" documents Rosenthal's journey through the frigid and grey Russia so effectively, I was chilled to the bone sitting in a toasty Los Angeles movie theatre watching it. Bleak overseas footage is interspersed with Phil's over-the-top, vibrant folks back home in contrast. Rosenthal's unrelenting, persistent, respectful struggle to get the Russian's to raise the creative, truth-telling bar, and his loving acceptance and patience with his hysterical parents is the heart of this riveting, hilarious, insightful film. Exporting Raymond's true brilliance shines brightest in allowing us to come to our own conclusions. Do yourself a favor, don't miss it.

(2012-05-25 09:01)

Exporting Raymond

This review is from: Exporting Raymond (DVD) Having recently returned from a trip to Russia, I found this fascinating and very accurate. The scenery is beautiful and the story really interesting.

(2012-05-24 12:25)

Everyone loves Exporting Raymond

I had the chance to see this film in Bozeman, MT at the Hatch Festival. What an amazing film. I'am not a huge Everyone Love Raymond fan, but have watched it off and on for years. You do not need to be a huge fan to enjoy every minute of this film. This is more about the journey of Phil, one of the creators of Raymond as he tries to take the show to Russia. He has big shoes to fill as the most successful sitcom in Russia is The Nanny. You will not be disappointed in this film.

(2012-05-24 06:02)

A balance between interesting and annoying...

I must say that the cultural differences are fascinating!!! From that perspective, this film is very interesting. On the other hand, Phil Rosenthal is so INCREDIBLY condescending and annoying, that this is a difficult film to watch. To be fair, I should mention that I find the American version of this show equally annoying.....almost as much as the creator. I agree with the Russians that this is simply not a good show. If we're going to export comedy, why not something that has more layers of comedy or even simply more less stupid...."The Simpsons" comes to mind as something that, while not as good as it used to be, is still very smart. How about something like "The Office" or "Arrested Development" or "Archer" or "Friends" or "Big Bang" or classics like "I Love Lucy" or "Star Trek" or "Twilight Zone"........or a test pattern. It's embarrassing that a show this bad is being exported, and that the idiot culpable had the nerve to treat the Russians with such condescension. What an embarrassment.

(2012-05-22 07:47)

Stupid and pointless!

This review is from: Exporting Raymond (DVD) You know how when you go to Paris expecting that all French are rude, you end up meeting them? This is what you get when you expect every nation to have exactly the same sense of humor, the same mentality in every possible country.You ever met any guys who write comedy? There is some sense this uncomfortable feeling that they are corny and just looking for funny where it does not exist. They are trying and trying, most of the time it comes out forced and corny, only once in a while they come up with a good joke. Then they write it down and they use it in their stand up routine. Only the best jokes make it, and people laugh! to me, this movie has all of the unsuccessful trying as well as the jokes that make it to the routine.Pointless, and tiring-just not funny.

FilmRap (2012-05-21 19:41)

Phil Rosenthal made an hilarious documentary.

If you know anything about the successful TV series Everybody LovesRaymond , you know that the co-creator writer/producer of this classiccomedy show that ran 9 seasons was Phil Rosenthal. So much of the humorof it came from the observations, sensibilities, family experience andsense of humor of this young man. Therefore when SONY pictures and theRussian TV network decided they wanted to make a Russian version ofthis hit TV series, they decided to invite Phil Rosenthal to come toRussia and advise the writers, directors and producers how to pull itoff. However, SONY also thought it would be a good idea if Rosenthaltook a film crew with him to document the entire process. The result isa hilarious, insightful and very fascinating look at Russiantelevision, Russian family life and the Russian sense of humor or lackthereof. It also shows how all of the above in many ways are quitedifferent from it's American counterpart but yet beneath it all arequite similar. The success of this very funny documentary (how often doyou see a funny doc?) is Phil Rosenthal. He is not only thewriter/producer/director and star of this masterpiece but it is hissense of humor and timing, which carries this film. He was present atour screening and claimed he had a great deal of luck and just happenedto be there filming at the right moment. There were a few spontaneousencounters caught on film with Rosenthal's parents and it was ELR allover again. The initial attempts to remake some of the originalprograms in Russian were wildly funny as the show was suffering in itscultural transplantation. The Russian writers, directors and involvedin the making of the show were hard to believe but were quite real.There was the humorless Russian network Director of Comedy. There was acostume designer who believed it was the purpose of a TV comedy to showgreat trends in fashion even when depicting a typical housewifecleaning her home. In the end Everybody Loves Kostya is now the numberone TV show in Russia. This documentary will be released in April andmay fall between the cracks but it should definitely not be missed. Youwill laugh, come away with not only a lighter heart but also with adepth of insight and respect for an incredibly complex process (2011)

SeriousJest (2012-05-20 03:15)

More Fascinating than Funny

I was married to a miserable, pessimistic, angry, and abusive woman, sowatching Debra yell at Ray, whether or not he deserved it, brought backtoo many unpleasant memories for me to enjoy Everybody Loves Raymondanymore. However, I did recognize its impressive comedic wit andacting. Watching Rosenthal try to work with "Russian Hollywood" tobring this style of comedy to Russian audiences was extremelyinteresting. I found Rosenthal to be pleasant and charismatic, althoughnot incredibly funny (in this film, I mean); some of the other peoplefeatured in this documentary, however, are hilarious…especiallyRosenthal's parents–one particular scene involving them and Skype hadme marveling at how truth really is often stranger and funnier thanfiction. All of that being said, this film is more fascinating thanfunny; and worth watching, but not a must-see.

DA (2012-05-19 06:17)

Exporting Raymond: Funnier than fiction.

Hilarious...Phil Rosenthal is very appealing, and seeing his wide-eyed reactions to Russia and the studio execs and staff working on his show is priceless. I never watched his sit-com when it was on TV here, but that didn't matter a bit, the film shows clips of it so you get the idea. You don't have to be a fan of his show to enjoy this documentary.

(2012-05-19 20:59)

A movie you defiantly need to see.

Being a huge Everyone Loves Raymond fan, I was excited to see this film when it was released in theaters. I would not call this film a documentary as it really is so much more then that. Trying to watch the transformation of an American sitcom for the Russian audience is riveting to watch. In fact, i could see it as a complementary weekly TV show. There is so much personality in this film you instantly will fall in love with Phil and his parents! This film is definitely worth the purchase.

(2012-05-19 05:27)

Great movie!

This review is from: Exporting Raymond [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) What a great movie. First, per the purchase, the DVD is great, high quality, lots of extras including a very funny audio commentary that makes it a hoot the 2nd time through. The movie itself should win some awards. Very entertaining and great insight into the differences between the US and Russia.

(2012-05-17 23:12)

The Perfect Translation of "Lost In Translation"

Fascinating and humorous peek into the global business of comedy, the working heart of the tv sitcom "Everyone Loves Raymond", and the tangled world of Russia and her people.Phil Rosenthal was the man behind the scenes, head writer and chief architect for what became a weekly institution for millions of fans. And in 2010, he was offered the chance to sit down and advise Russian television on their version of the show - 'Everyone Loves Kostya'. What makes this so engaging, not having seen Phil before in real life, is just how much he *is* Raymond. That Romano the actor and Phil the writer are mutual halves of the same person; his emotional reactions, facial expressions, sense of timing are the very embodiment of the television character they humourously delivered to the small screen.But this wouldn't be nearly as entertaining if it were such a simple project. Far from it. And the dark, cold and rainy night that greets him as he arrives in Moscow is the harbinger of many similar days to come.Our first glimpse of 'this-might-not-work' arrives in the form of the Costume Designer. She's never seen the show. And her desire is to display the cast in the very best haute couture. Phil is stymied and concerned as he attempts to explain that these characters need to be average people with average looks wearing average clothes. This information not only falls on deaf ears, but in fact offends her and her diva sensibilities.Oh boy.Next is the Head Writer. In addition to not seeing the show, is unmarried. And he honestly cannot understand why the Raymond character appears to be, from his bachelor perspective, a wimp. In fact, he visualizes a new and improved Raymond: A man of strength, of machismo, and the New Russia. His very first viewing of the American-version leaves him unimpressed and not surprisingly - angry. He doesn't like Raymond.This is not going well.From there things increasingly spiral towards ever more bizarre encounters with absent staff, morphing cast and miscasts, and varying levels of studio executives. It's then that Phil has a creeping realization: He has stepped into Bizarro World. A mirrored reflection of our existence; a world where Superman seeks out destruction and creates mayhem. And in this world floats suggestions that Raymond, a.k.a. Kostya, should be a muscle-bound bricklayer who doesn't take crap from any person, much less a pair of women. Again: The initial director, writers, and crew have never seen the show.In an attempt to reach out and understand the Russian perspective, Phil decides to hit the streets to ask average citizens their thoughts. Considering the Russian people have lived under three generations of pure paranoia - not exactly the environment to seek open and frank discussions with random strangers.He then attempts a guided tour given by the Costume Designer. It's explained to him that the base, most instinctual crass commercialism is what sells there. To illustrate his point, Phil devolves the production. Utilizing the same visual graphics and editing for the most horrendously pathetic programming we have in the states: Utterly worthless incarnations of 'The Real Housewives', all synched to the thumping overbearing beat of Britany Spears. Yikes.There are many amusing fish-out-of-water moments. But equally there are excruciating tension-filled scenes as heart-felt frustration is poured onto the screen; each side trying to explain, and by explain I mean "correct", the other's mentality. 'Exporting' isn't a straight-comedic documentary in that sense. Increasingly, it feels more like the Motherland's favorite pastime: Chess. A game where conflicting positions are quiet battlefields; move and counter-move, blindside tactics employed to overwhelm and conquer the opponent. Phil quickly realizes that Russia is not the ideal environment for creative cooperation.And being fair and balanced, he allows us a glimpse of the "Overbearing Creator" - his own unrelenting sense of divine understanding for his baby. Putting on display his inability and unwillingness to 'let go', to acknowledge that his creation was now in the hands of others. Hilariously, Phil, who is so keenly self-aware, doesn't see this when in the moment. But I'm grateful that as the Director, he did. Made more humorous when marrying The Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy to his agitated gesticulations and blossoming unwanted input; we get to see the other side of the table. Those poor Russians. Especially the director. Who, after a time, will no longer make eye contact with the Guiding Spirit; having had enough "advice" from the Amerikanski.Ultimately, over the course of nearly a year, things slowly progress.The film ends with this enjoyable tag: 'Everyone Loves Kotsya' is the Number 1 ranked show in Russia. They're ordering scripts for one hundred more episodes. And Poland has just called the production company - they love the idea of having a Polish 'Everyone Loves' to be filmed in their country. {:-D

BarryInDC (2012-05-17 06:57)

Brilliant Comedy Documentary

I saw this last night at a preview screening, and it was hilarious andextremely well done. The audience was laughing out loud from the firstminute to the last, and also touched. I can't recommend it highlyenough.Phil Rosenthal made a delightfully sympathetic main character whoremained incredibly nice, sincere and dedicated to the art of his taskthrough an amazing array of frustrating obstacles. The story was trulystranger than fiction and fascinating to watch. It's a must-see foranyone in the film/TV business, or anyone who just likes to laugh.If you can find a preview of this movie - go, and drag your friends.

(2012-05-16 03:01)

Annoying yet interesting

So this is a DVD that is a clear example of an American trying to turn another culture into a mini-America. The creator of Everybody Loves Raymond goes to Russia to make a Russian version of the show. What he is really trying to do is make an American version of the show with Russian actors and in the Russian language. He fusses and whines as the director and the writers (all Russian nationals) try to make the show more Russian and not as American.The main character, the creator of the show, was annoying and unlikable. Having spent some time in Western Europe and the Balkans I can say that if you want to do something over there, you have to do it their way (as is the same in any other country as well). It is their country and their culture. Imagine a hit Middle Eastern sitcom coming to America and the American version is more Middle Eastern than American. It would not work! Another thing that bothers me is how originality is dead. America is exporting our sitcoms while importing movies. What happened to creativity and innovation? Worth watching if you are interested in Russian culture and the exporting of American culture around the world.By the way, I am not a fan of Everybody Loves Raymond and probably not watched a full episode from start to finish.

(2012-05-15 12:34)

Exporting Raymond - Culture Clash at its most dead-pan hilarious!

Like another reviewer, I had never actually watched the TV Show "Everybody Loves Raymond". But I was certainly aware of it in terms of something floating around in the cultural zeitgeist. And a number of years ago I had an opportunity to meet Patricia Heaton in person, so lovely and charming. But never Ray Romano, and certainly not the show's creator Phil Rosenthal. The documentary about Phil going to Moscow to help create a version of the show in Russian with Russian actors is a full on dose of Ray and Phil and all the side-splitting who-can't-relate jokes and schtick about families, and relationships, and people ... delivered directly into the grim un-smiling faces of scary looking guys in badly lit production offices just waiting for Phil to cut the un-funny (to them) stuff so they can get on with making real comedy and downing some more vodka.You don't laugh the whole way through this. It's more subtle than that, which also makes it just that much more interesting.

(2012-05-12 04:26)

Great Movie

I saw this based on a podcast interview and really enjoyed it. Showed the cultural differences in a really humorous way.

(2012-05-11 13:49)

a very relatable journey in a very foreign land

i saw this documentary in the theater as i was (still am) a huge fan of the TV show. Though you absolutely don't need to be familiar with the TV show to thoroughly enjoy it, i think it makes it even funnier. i think everybody can relate to a story where you are trying to convey simple ideas and simple concepts with your best will and patience and you can't get through anybody, you only get to frustration and bewilderment. then you start trying to understand who you're dealing with in order to break through the culture clash. This clash is conveyed honestly and skillfully and that's what makes Exporting Raymond so hilarious and enjoyable to watch. i feel i've been to Moscow and back and only paid the price of a movie ticket.

(2012-05-08 23:05)

Too funny to be fake

If you're in the mood for a hilarious movie about real life, look no further than EXPORTING RAYMOND. You don't have to be a fan of EVERY BODY LOVES RAYMOND or even documentaries to enjoy this film. You just can't make this stuff up!Rosenthal's natural comedic timing and demeanor permeates this fish out of water tale better than anything that Hollywood would ever put out on their own. The guy can't not be funny! He just is!I hope to see more of Rosenthal's directorial efforts as well as in front of the camera.

(2012-05-08 16:24)

It's Funny 'Cause It's True

Don't let the word "documentary" scare you. This is a comedy. A true comedy. The true story of the trials and tribulations of Phil Rosenthal, creator of the hit sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" as he attempts to bring that show to Russia.Anyone that has had to navigate the bureaucracy of a workplace or a family will find themselves laughing in recognition of Mr. Rosenthal's plight. And laugh you will. A lot.

Terry Roehrig II (2012-05-04 13:58)

A funny look at how difficult translating American culture can be

You don't have to be a fan of Everybody Loves Raymond to enjoy thisdocumentary. They don't go behind-the-scenes of the show, pick it apartand have interviews with the cast and crew. In fact, no one from thetelevision show even appears in this documentary. OK, that's nottrue... Ray Romano does appear in the closing credits briefly. This isa documentary about two very different countries working (and fighting)together to (hopefully) provide joy and laughter to people of adifferent culture.Philip Rosenthal is the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond. It was (andstill is) very popular here in America. It was on the air for nineyears in prime time (1996 - 2005) and still plays in syndication onseveral networks today. Philip is married to Monica Horan (she playedAmy, Robert's on-again-off-again girlfriend, on the show) and we seeher briefly giving Phil all kinds of hugs and kisses before he departsfor Russia to translate his show for their country. Some things welearn about Phil before he even leaves is that he's a bit of a nervousfellow. He reminds me of Woody Allen and just how unsure he is abouthimself and just what exactly he is doing. You would think that a manthat's created a hit television show would have an air of arrogancethat surrounds him, but Phil is anything but. He's smart, funny andwitty. He certainly seems approachable... that is, if he hasn'tconvinced himself that you're a crazy, deranged fan or some sort ofterrorist. Phil is his own worst enemy when it comes to random thoughtsand for some reason, he always seems to think the worst. You'll seewhat I mean when he explains what K & R insurance is.When Phil gets to Russia, he is thrown directly into the mix with thewriters, producer and director. He has his own translator, Marina, andhe only trusts her when it comes to people speaking for him. Elena, thecostume designer for the Russian series doesn't like the fact that Vera(in Russia, Debra's name was changed to Vera) had to wear everydaycommon clothes. Phil tries to explain to her that women doing laundry,scrubbing dishes and cleaning the house don't wear cashmere sweaters,but Elena tries to get Phil to understand that Russian women watch TVshows for fashion as much as they do for entertainment. Many of thesesituations rear their head and you can tell that it gets to be somewhatfrustrating to Phil, yet he always keeps his calm and doesn't blow up.Another major issue they have is casting. Phil is not surprised to findthat heads of network are pretty much the same no matter where you go.If you really like a certain person, chances are the network head isgoing to have something to say about it and will deny your request justto show you how big and powerful they are. A rather funny bit comeswhen an actor to portray Raymond is hired and Phil just doesn't likehim at all. Some interviews are shown with other writers and they allpretty much have the same thing to say -- "I wish Phil was happy aboutour choices". They even tell him at one point to just nod and smile...and he actually does. I'm sorry, but if I were Phil, I would have justabout lost it at that point. That takes some serious nerve to sit thereand tell the creator of the show to just go with it.It's a funny documentary that shows you how some things just can't betranslated from America to other cultures (half a word jokes apparentlydon't work in Russia) and how other things are just universal(marriage, family). Phil even gets to tie up a loose end with hisdriver near the end of the documentary. He was very worried about himand that act of kindness just shows you how heartfelt he can be and italso shows how he couldn't blow up at anyone no matter how frustratedhe gets.Final Grade: A-

(2012-05-03 18:50)

wow

While for years I'd heard of the Raymond TV show I never came around to taking in more than an episode or two. I was invited to a screening of the film before it's theatrical run this past spring and wow was I pleasantly surprised. Phil Rosenthal is one of the more genuine, endearing, and funny people I've had the pleasure of watching in a documentary. Not only is the film hilarious but there was a conspicuous arc to the piece. Phil entered his situation one way and came out the other end a man with a newer and deeper understanding of what it means to be positive and open-minded. I give this film my highest recommendation.