Lovefest Film Puts 'Putin' in Romantic Light

A warm and fuzzy Russian movie about a politician's rise to the Kremlin, released today for Valentine's Day, bears more than a passing resemblance to Russian President Vladimir Putin, CNN reports. "It's a film about the life of a politician, about love, and the relationships every person has," gushed the producer of The Kiss Is Off the Record.

The movie's hero, whose speech and gait are remarkably like Putin's, is portrayed as a loving husband, doting dad—and political miracle worker. Russians at a Moscow screening didn't have any trouble figuring out who the film is meant to portray. Critics say the film is pure propaganda ahead of the March election, but doubt the Kremlin actually commissioned it—they insist it's too terrible a film.  (More Vladimir Putin stories.)