Based on a beloved novel by Ivan Goncharov, "Oblomov" combines the sensitivity of a Chekhov tale with the farcical tradition of Russian theater. As the title character, Tabakov is adorably ruffled, indecisive, undisciplined, and wholly empathetic — an apt metaphor for Mother Russia in the pre-Glasnost era. Mikhalkov wrings a lot of mileage out of his hero's soulful struggles, contrasting the dreariness of the present with the gilded glow of childhood through his adroit use of color and lighting. A charming moral parable, "Oblomov" takes the measure of life, sees it lacking, and then builds to an acceptance of love's fulfillment.