Taxi Blues 1990.

The ragged energy of those films shows in the gruff, masculine tenderness of "Taxi Blues."

Amazingly, in view of its underlying mournfulness, "Taxi Blues" is a robust and even buoyant film.

In "Taxi Blues," they were accidental acquaintances; this time they are blood relatives.

Taxi Blues (495-105 5115; www.taxi-blues.ru)

Billed as Little Frankie Lee, he released three singles which included "Taxi Blues", a regional hit and his best known song.

Mr. Lounguine ("Taxi Blues") crosses back and forth over the divide of the Soviet Union's dissolution, in 1991.

Lungin worked primarily as a scriptwriter until given the opportunity to direct "Taxi Blues" at age 40.

"Taxi Blues" recounts the chance collision of two lost souls in contemporary Moscow.

The first review of "Taxi Blues," published in the liberal Sovetskaya Kultura last week, was so heavy-handed that it seemed deliberately designed to provoke discussion.