Reeling from the loss of their overbearing mother, a pair of poorly socialized farmers (Tim Blake Nelson, David Arquette) join a so-called romance tour to Russia seeking a mail order bride (just one) to cook and clean for them; along the way they learn valuable lessons about life. Screenwriter Geert Heetebrij paints in broad strokes and director Helmut Schleppi doesn’t contribute much nuance. There are a few witty touches (POV shots from the urn that holds the mother’s ashes), but the mood swings erratically and ineffectively from deadpan drollery to heartfelt romance. The story is punctuated by interviews with men on a real romance tour, who are no more charming than you’d expect them to be (2002). 82 min.
