Elena shares her life with a man who would have the means to help her son, if he wanted to...

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Elena meets Vladimir at the hospital where she works as a nurse. After his recovery, they move in together in his beautiful apartment. Every first of the month, Elena goes to visit her son to give him the major part of her salary. The change of scenery is radical: her jobless son lives with his wife and two children in squalor with a view of the smokestacks of a nearby factory. With no great hope of his luck changing, the family hopes Vladimir will give them some money. But the two men don't share the same idea of family responsibility. After a bout of heart trouble, Vladimir tells his companion that her son won't get anything in his will. Elena knows she needs to find a new solution to help her family...

Russian drama by Andrei Zviaguintsev shows the cruelty inherent in the issue of parental responsibility, with two opposing principles, both of them justifiable. Slow scenes and careful images create a tense ambiance from beginning to end, when the camera takes the audience back to the initial setting. The story comes full circle; the effect is surprising.