aristofanis Reviews

Comandante (2003)

Eye opener

[10/10 · 9 May 2013]

I just saw Comandante on Greek public television, in its entirety and uninterrupted and was immediately drawn to it.

Whether one agrees with Cuba's political system or not, is not the issue here. What Oliver Stone has achieved is what no journalist or historian has ever come close to. He brings himself and his crew right up close to the aged leader and confronts him relentlessly with questions from the mundane to the esoteric and from the political to the personal. Ideas about the past and the future, about dreams, art, democracy, colonialism, family, religion, women's rights, education, love etc are all exposed here, bringing out an intimate portrait. The questions are often uncomfortable as when Stone asks Castro about his ex wives in front of his wife, or when his claims about policing in Cuba are denied by one of Stone's crew members. Yet Castro even at this age, is sharp, humorous and poetic in a way that reveals the intellectual behind the politician.

It is also a travel documentary of Havana where Fidel Castro is Stone's guide and walks him through the city's monuments and cafés, sits next to him at the back seat of his car, eats and drinks with him and we get a sense that he knows what is happening in Havana's every alley.

One thing is for sure: no other country leader would ever allow himself the closeness Castro offers to Stone and expose his feelings and doubts with such spontaneity.

Stone turns a formal encounter into a family visit and brings the audience to meet an iconic political figure and spend a couple of intimate hours with him.

A work that leaves you thinking for a long while.

Wasted Youth (2011)

Two stories in an ordinary day in Athens

[9/10 · 18 November 2011]

Two seemingly unrelated lives in today's Athens are narrated in Wasted Youth in a span of less than 24 hours. Haris, a 16 year old, spends his time aimlessly on a skateboard while his parents are mostly unaware and indifferent of his whereabouts. He hangs out with friends in Syntagma square, sleeps at a family friend's house in Kifissia and listens to hip hop music. His failed advances towards his girlfriend do not keep him from finding a new pastime with his friend who works at a photocopy shop. Together, they spend the evening tagging stickers allover the city that say "Wasted Malaka Youth" (Malaka=wanker, jerk).

Meanwhile, Vassilis, a policeman, is exhausted and stressed from his night-shifts while he refuses his friend's precarious proposal to open a pizza place. Condemned into his suffocating central Athens apartment where he lives with his wife, daughter and mother in- law, he is overwhelmed by tension.

Argyris Papadimitropoulos and Jan Vogel paint a city and country in crisis -which is decisively a moral one- through the story of two individuals. It is a brilliant movie which unlike many Greek movies of the past 30 years, has pace, dialogues that convince and children that actually act! Even though there is a documentary feel to it, the film is very beautifully shot with scenes that vary from a sunset on Philopappou hill to the dark highways of suburbia. Despite the overall pessimistic view of the film, it is loaded with laughter. The wedding scene is reminiscent of Bunuel and Fellini. In a somewhat sacrilegious way, I dare to say that Wasted Youth is the Greek Dolce Vita!

9/10

The American (2010)

Crafted build up

[8/10 · 20 December 2010]

Some here have labeled this movie 'European' or 'Art-House' and someone even called it 'foreign', whatever that may mean... Perhaps movies coming out of Hollywood these days are so facsimile to each other in format that people have been conditioned what to expect. Personally, I think it is a Hollywood movie where the director had a few freedoms to produce a more personal work. A good movie. Nothing more or less. And just as Hollywood is capable of the worst, it is also capable of the best. There is a consistency in style, a very crafty build-up, constant suspense and mystery, a very good depiction of modern day rural Italy, and some existential questions as Clooney exchanges words with the two opposite poles of wisdom: a priest and a prostitute. We don't know much about the main character and what the purpose of his 'final job' is but that doesn't seem to be the matter the movie delves with. We are not asked to sympathise with him or hate him but see him make that slight but ever important transformation where he will have to love and therefore trust and become fragile and human.

There are some plot parts that may not work. I.e. how come the police have never approached him after the two deaths in the village (motor cyclist and Swedish predator) when even the priest has suspected him. Or, how would Mathilde get away with assassinating him in a crowded church square etc. I am also not sure if the chosen ending was necessary. Personally, I would have had the crowd chase and surround the sophisticated Mathilde and her boss with hunting rifles! That would have been surprising and triumphant and would have added a humorous twist rather than melodrama.

Another Year (2010)

A journey into the heart of Britain

[7/10 · 17 December 2010]

This movie touches upon current sociological and psychological conditions that result to alienation and loneliness. The theme repeats itself on the problematic characters of a group of friends in their 50s, namely Ken and Mary as well as Tom's brother. They all resort to alcohol but that is the side effect of their problem, not the root cause. There is an unfortunate equation between single people and despair. This bias is expressed also in the story of the couple's son, who seems to worry during the time he is single and who 'has it made' once he finds a girl who assumes his parents' acceptance and friendship, admits she is starving to people she just met (no manners) and licks her fingers (no manners). Meanwhile Tom and Gerry are the voice of reason and somehow, I felt they were also Mike Leigh's voice. Of course, as others here have mentioned, their portrayal may not be seen as virtuous as I have perceived it. There is a certain coldness within their kindness about them just as cold as the way the priest received the late-coming son of the deceased woman at the funeral.

Mary who is at the centre of the film, is a pile of trouble. She is turned down by Tom and Gerry's ugly son and Tom's socially handicapped brother, only to get attention from fat and alcoholic Ken. In a desperate move to celebrate her independent life rather than mourn for her loneliness, she buys a car but that only becomes a source of more trouble. As if Leigh wants to tell us that no car can give her the happy life of a married couple who live in harmony cultivating their veggies. The question that floats in the air can be whether her unbalanced character has caused her loneliness or vice versa. What keeps this film together are the masterful indoor scenes, the convincing dialogues and the top notch acting. Careful considerations have been made in how people act in their everyday lives and that has been extraordinarily engaging.

Dogtooth (2009)

Needs reworking

[5/10 · 14 May 2010]

As a Greek speaker and with a certain familiarity with Greek cinema, I went to see this movie in London with some reservation. Mostly because my experience with Greek art house movies of the past 25 years or so consist of slow scenes, with minimal dialogue, short sentences and bad acting. Now of course there are directors like Theo Angelopoulos who can pull a slow movie off. But not everyone is Theo.

So I was disappointed to see this mannerism repeated again in Dogtooth! Of course in this case, there is the excuse that the expressionless faces and the minimal dialogue are due to the dysfunctionality of the family in question. Yet the colleague at dad's work and the dog trainer are equally pathetic as characters and as actors. Only the roles of the parents seem to convince.

The premise is an intelligent one and the meanings and implications become obvious. The commentary on contemporary society is successful. In other words there are all the ingredients for a very good film but the opportunities here are completely wasted. Some of this lack of ideas is desperately attempted to be compensated with long and tiresome sex scenes.

Yet the biggest lost opportunity is when the daughter escapes the premises. This could have been a fine chance for great cinematography as she would run out and about the real world. The confrontation between the artificial environment of the parents and the outside reality is what I would be interested in.

Greek filmmakers need to experiment with style and learn from real life characters and situations rather than from previous Greek films.

Avatar (2009)

History repeats itself

[8/10 · 14 January 2010]

This movie has been praised for its graphics and at some instances criticized for its plot. I have not watched Pocahontas but I do believe that many of the main ideas have been repeated in the past. To me this isn't necessarily a flaw. History repeats itself and just as we haven't learned from our past crimes we do not seem to be learning from our current ones either. So I think Cameron tries to make some crucial points clear for once more to a wide pop-corn audience which expects mainly visual sensations.

Expressions used in this film such as 'Shock and Awe' and 'Terror' reveal, even to the unsuspected, the parallels drawn here with current irrational warfare mostly for the control of markets and resources.

There is a strong environmental agenda and ultimately there is revolution. The messages are clear and relevant. Yet they may fall short in being convincing. The natives bear too many cultural similarities to humans. They speak in polysyllabic words, are monogamous, use similar tools, gather and sing to evoke something spiritual, the women's concept of femininity is similar to ours etc… Of course all this is done in order for us to relate to them as much as possible.

Some cheesy disneyish romance, along with romantic views on natives that look like North American Natives and sing to African tunes, make also part of the Hollywood gloss.

What chiefly kept me interested was the ongoing switching of the marine's world from that of the artificial human environment to the natural non-human one. It is within those transformations that his dilemmas are understood and his character develops.

Overall, it was an entertaining experience with beautiful imagery and pertinent messages. There is room for more character development and intricacy, especially from the part of the natives.

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Mankind is your business!

[7/10 · 16 December 2009]

'Mankind was my business!' says Marley's ghost. At this point the animated character has his jaw dropping and his voice distorted. The ever important words can be hardly heard. Blunders like this illustrate the prevailing of grotesque effects over essence in this film.

Zemeckis manages to produce some beautiful 3D journeys above Victorian London and some innovative ideas especially in the segment of the ghost of Christmas present, with that transparent wooden floor as well as the depiction of clocks indicating the time ticking away while the ghost dilutes into skeleton and dust.

Unfortunately a long scene of horses chasing a lilliputian Scrooge does not make any sense! Apart from Crachet, the animation buffers much of the acting and I am certain that Carrey as he is himself would be more convincing as Scrooge than the exaggerated figure produced in the film. There is something fake about it and its accelerating pace that deprives it from the touchy and cathartic feeling one should get at the end. Too bad.

No Harm's Done (1955)

Classic

[9/10 · 15 September 2009]

This is Greek comedy at its best as a group of excellent actors execute an excellent script. Middle aged Lalakis uses a business trip to Thessaloniki as an excuse to his much younger wife Popi in order to spend a romantic weekend with his chubby mistress Lolota. Yet things don't go as planned as the couple misses their train in a remote village where the local train officer keeps referring it as a major 'junction' (komvos). The train officer offers hospitality. Soon Lalakis is in for a big surprise to his mistress' bewilderment. A must see comedy, loaded with Greek idioms and hard to translate as is the case with humour, but Logothetidis delivers beyond words.

Pare, kosme! (1967)

A compulsive philanthropist

[8/10 · 12 September 2009]

Vengos here is still in top form, this time running constantly helping out everyone possible while jeopardizing his love relationship as his philanthropy angers his potential mother in law. The film is hilarious with witty one-liners and plenty of pure Vengos slap stick, all very well timed, as he employs imaginative tricks to see his girl who is constantly guarded by her mother. As a bonus, there is also a guest appearance by Zambetas towards the end. Vengos has moments of superb acting especially when returning home to his mother after having given blood. Overall, one of my three top Vengos movies that keep you laughing till the end.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

yes, movies can be better than this

[6/10 · 30 May 2008]

A brave American archaeologist defies, almost singlehandedly, Nazis, Arabs and a sleazy Canadian in an ongoing pursuit filled with gunshots, explosions and fist fighting in order to bring to the safe hands of the US academia a significant relic of the Hebrews. Apart from the political undertones, there are way too many predictable things happening in this movie as the 'good' guys win over the 'bad'. Seeing this movie at the age of 7 must be exhilarating. Seeing it at the age of 14 must be quite fun. But if you are any older than that, most scenes will seem redundant. I believe that most viewers' ecstasy with this movie stems from their nostalgia to when they first saw it and that's legitimate.

Bon Cop Bad Cop (2006)

Canada can do better than this

[5/10 · 1 February 2008]

I was born and raised in Montreal and for one thing, it is a city that is far more diverse with people who are far more funny and intelligent than these caricatures. The humour here is contrived and most of the comic scenes are designed for 12 year olds. The whole thing seems to be a glossy TV production for tourists or for language students who should be introduced to the french-Canadian lingo and the rivalry between Quebec and Ontario. Thus the jokes are unintelligible to someone outside Canada and too cliché for those who are Canadian. The hostility shown by people towards the 'other' province in this movie isn't funny and it really does not reflect anything close to reality since Canada is known for its tolerant society. Most people in Montreal do understand English and more than 1/3 of them are anglophones! (Yes, French Canadians are not the only inhabitants of Montreal) while the name Bouchard is very standard and recognizable throughout the country. Nothing noteworthy as far as direction and photography either. I would classify this movie as very light entertainment.

Ye yan (2006)

Some good reasons to watch this

[7/10 · 10 April 2007]

This is a very well made production of an epic story placed in 10th century China. Magnificent scenes of ritual, majestic scenery, beautiful landscapes, great stage design, artful choreography and above all a very good sense of the theatrical that echos ancient Greek Tragedy. One thing that seems to be wearing out in Chinese movies of this kind are the long violently cruel scenes that are attempted to be beautified and the ongoing fighters who fly allover. In a choreographic sense they are of great merit but a lot is unnecessary. Zhang Ziyi is one more good reason to see this movie. I found her convincing in her role although somewhat stiff. I would like to see more of her in the future, more such great productions with even less fighting and more content that Chinese culture can easily provide.

Notes on a Scandal (2006)

it's about the drive

[8/10 · 2 April 2007]

This incredible piece of performance that glues the audience to the screen is not about homosexuality. It is about the untamed and invincible human desire for sensual/sexual fulfillment and how that triggers passions, jealousies, rage and turmoil in our conservative societies. Dench may or may not be homosexual. It is her deprivation that has lead her to seek affection (sensual and emotional) from women whom she has easier access to. Blanchett cannot resist the freshness of the young adolescent and he cannot resist Blanchett for obvious reasons... This very human reaction yet unacceptable by institutions such as law, marriage and social moral standards becomes a significant tool to the hands of the old teacher. Had it been of minor importance Dench would have never had the power to be so manipulative. There is further hysteria when the news brake out. Her husband and daughter reject her while the mother of the teenager attacks her. The school is torn to pieces, the tabloids go crazy and Blanchet is convicted. All this for letting hormones lose! Very suitable music and interesting the fact that we see the story through the eyes of the old teacher that we cannot but hate! I found Barbara to be too naive in trusting Dench through most of the movie. Very cathartic when Blanchet beats up Dench at the end.

Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)

Robin Williams tries to save the day...

[7/10 · 17 July 2006]

Robin Williams turns this mediocre story into a one man show. Still, the laughs yielded here are far less than if there hadn't been such an emphasis on how funny he is... Laughter cannot come out forcefully. The anti-war messages in this movie aren't enough to deviate from a sublime American propaganda. When Robin Williams demands censorship-free news like back home he gets "this is not America" as an answer. It is implied by both that such things never happen in the States. Not to mention that the information censored was never about doubting the war but facts that would possibly hamper the army's moral. When the Vietnamese boy expresses the agony of his people, the "anti-war" DJ exclaims "we are only here to help"! Any sentimental attachment Williams had with the locals seems to be in the realm of joke. Even his little affair with the young girl doesn't seem to overshadow him a bit. At the same time he is very convincing when saluting the U.S. soldiers. He also feels pity for the pick-up bar ran by a perversive underworld local.... Excessive coarse jokes also spoil some possibilities for humor. Silence is funnier sometimes. 6/10

Forrest Gump (1994)

Naive or underlying irony?

[7/10 · 14 July 2006]

This movie was pleasant to watch although as it progressed towards the end it became more and more cheesy. Can Forrest Gump be a grotesque caricature of the average ignorant and politically numb citizen that sees history passing in front of his eyes without noticing it? Is the country he lives in made for idiots? I liked the return from Vietnam and the scenes with the lieutenant. I didn't like the philosophical contemplations made by Gump as he becomes "wise" nor the way the movie concludes with the unnecessary death of Jenny which leaves Forrest raise his child that in turn doesn't seem to have any particular problems with that. The heroics towards the end are also incredibly far fetched. Overall it is a fun movie with some good moments but I wouldn't take it too seriously.

Eros (2004)

The sensual, the witty and the passionate

[7/10 · 18 February 2006]

I saw this film in Greece where the sequence is: Antonioni, Sodenberg, Kar Wai. The Antonioni film felt a bit indifferent but one has only to pay attention to some details to understand that this is a work of a genius like Antonioni who has great fun. Utopia, poetry, mythology and all that which eros is made of, parade here. Those who are disturbed by nudity should come to terms with their body. "Equilibrium" has some intelligent interplays between dream and reality and great acting. Sodenberg is trying to do a little too much with colour and the eros theme is a bit too subtle. Kar Wai has found a successful formula in creating tension, atmosphere, and passion in narrow, dark corridors and in the 50s time zone. This was the only film out of the tree that penetrates to the audience and has really something to say. The future belongs to the youngster.

Johnny Got His Gun (1971)

when the script takes the movie up there.

[8/10 · 2 August 2005]

I saw this movie on public Greek TV (original version with subtitles), and was glued to the screen until the very end. I would say that it develops in three modes. One is the horrible black and white present, one is the colorful past (memory) and one is the surreal world of Johnny's dreams where he is conscious of his injury! I haven't understood how the scenes with his father in the past add up to the movie very well. The acting isn't superb and some lines could have been different. The black and white cinematography is very convincing and the scenes with the last nurse are tremendous! Aside from the downsides of war which are evident, the movie also deals with how the system is willing to suppress its own fabricated heroes when they fall short of its ideology. One of the best Hollywood movies ever made, chiefly due to its powerful script. 8/10

Nobody Knows (2004)

Incredible poetry

[9/10 · 6 April 2005]

Somewhere in the middle of this picture, I reconciled myself with the idea that I didn't need to anticipate any evolution on the plot since I was convinced that I was living a true experience! A story that can be shown in less than half an hour unfolds into a series of extraordinary cinema moments. Koreeda has zoomed with incredible detail into the child condition, so much that anyone can relate and recall childhood memories of his/her own even if they don't resemble at all with the film's story.

*SPOILER* Until the very end I expected a certain catharsis, something that never came. I was also left questioning: what is the role of the schoolgirl that joins the kids at the last stages of the film and what makes her mingle? Isn't she old enough to asses the problem and spread the word somewhere? But perhaps these problems are part of the film's strength and not weakness. The schoolgirl is an indicator that the four kids in question are not an isolated incident. She is the helpless society that just follows along. She is a victim of neglect as well despite her better standards of living. Neglect goes beyond social status. Her bonding with the four kids maybe keeps her silent as she becomes part of them. But even if she has communicated the problem to others, is there anyone who cares? Even if things get resolved at the end, even if the authorities intervene, and even if there is a slim possibility that these children have a better future, Koreeda insists that the problem remains. The film is not about answers but about questions. About contemporary urban realities and that's were the focus is on.

Favorite scene: Akira taking out his little sister and showing her the trains that pass by.

Wonderfully observant camera, superb acting, very good musical theme that is repeated throughout and great use of sounds. Poetic cinema that triggers the heart and the mind. 9/10

O papatrehas (1966)

a vengos favorite!

[8/10 · 18 January 2005]

This is my favorite Vengos movie. This is the moment Vengos has reached a certain stylization in his performance without seeming to merely imitate himself. A janitor is trying to set up his six sisters and his aunt before he gets married to his beloved one who's brother's task is to have her married the soonest! While the film mocks the irrationality of traditional customs (sisters have to get married first)the main theme of Vengos devising all sorts of ways to earn his living and that of all others, remains. Although Vengos is funny just to watch, the one liners in this one are amazing and unfortunately very hard to translate to other languages (vast use of idioms, rhymes etc.) I've seen this a dozen times and can see it another dozen easily.

The Barbarian Invasions (2003)

Well composed

[8/10 · 27 January 2004]

This film, made in my hometown Montreal, is a work well composed and structured from beginning to end without exaggerations. The characters are an unusual bunch but this is what brings together all these interesting dialogues that raise issues of how life should be lived. The acting takes the film quite further as it is flawless and keeps the audience attached to the action. Issues are spread and not really resolved but I don't think that this is necessarily the purpose of a movie. Audience from different cultural backgrounds (ie. some US viewers) may have difficulties relating, while one has to keep in mind the particularities of Quebecois French that cannot be fully translated to subtitles. 8/10

The Triplets of Belleville (2003)

great drawings!

[9/10 · 27 January 2004]

This is a superb work that combines some computer animation that never really takes over the great hand drawings! One has to see this movie more than once to examine details that are beautifully drawn everywhere. Portuguese grandma goes from France to an imaginary US to save her son.

Favorite scene: her chasing the ship in the ocean while in a pedaling boat. Superb music and atmosphere. Great for everyone to watch. I expected something from the grandson but unfortunately he hasn't been given personality. Story could have been more resolved. Nevertheless 9/10

A Touch of Spice (2003)

Yummie

[7/10 · 8 January 2004]

This movie has become the biggest box office hit in Greece ever with more than one million tickets already sold. So the money spent were well spent. It is about the "Polis" (Constantinoupolis) the City. The polis, namely Istanbul, has its images, sounds, smells and of course its unbelievable cuizine. Greeks and Turks long for it and cannot live away from it. Cought in political turbulence, the Greeks of Istanbul are deported to mainland Greece bringing with them the art of cooking that awakens memories of a past long gone. A will for reconciliation prevails when the deported child returns to Istanbul many years later. It is worth watching for some delightful stage design and beautiful music as well as for turning on ones appetite. Some of the missed opportunities of this film include mediocre acting from some of the characters and the very few takes from Istanbul that should have been more.

Grease (1978)

reflected an era

[8/10 · 7 January 2004]

I grew up listening to this film's soundtrack and observing pictures from the movie. Later, when my parents let me see it, it did not live up to the expectations my childish imagination had set. Twenty five years later, I realize that the music and some of the dancing is what salvages this somewhat dumb scenario. The film is a compact package of images and archetypes of a certain US culture (50s mixed with some 60s and 70s in them). Cars, leather jackets, american sports, american fast food restaurants, american high schools, competitiveness... He/she who has more of all this is the winner. Typical of this agenda is when Sandy sings near the end "Look at me I'm Sandra-dee" as a mourning of an identity she has to give up. She will be rewarded when she uglyfies herself proving that she is capable in conforming. Danny also has to prove himself. One wonders what could had happened had they had not done otherwise! Like in most simplistic movies, there are good and bad guys and complicated teenage situations such as pregnancy are dealt with superficially simplistic solutions. Not to be taken seriously. 6/10 for its musical aspects and for my admiration to Olivia Newton John.

A Touch of Spice (2003)

yumm

[7/10 · 11 November 2003]

Politiki kouzina is a movie about the cuisine of the Polis and its people. The Polis (City) is no other than Constantinoupolis (Istanbul): "it was called the Polis because it was the most beautiful city of the world!" as exclaims the father of the protagonist. The film actually revolves around the attachment that people have to this city which goes beyond nationality or time period. The City has to do with images, sounds but also with smells and taste! When people leave it, they carry with them their memories from it through stories, customs and the art of cooking.

This movie has become a box office hit in Greece because of it's grand production for the standards in the country and because of it's appealing subject matter that deals with sensitive memories from recent history and...food!

The story is told through the innocent memories of a child, that mix fear, trauma and humor quite eloquently. The film achieves not to provoke while shedding light to a time long gone at a very personal and humane level.

While stage design and special effects are made beautifully, the film is let down somewhat by mediocre acting, inappropriate takes/angles, and to my opinion the middle portion (Fanis' childhood in Athens) is too long compared to the scenes in the Polis that I expected to see more of.

These lost opportunities deprive it from being excellent. I give a 7/10.

Good Bye Lenin! (2003)

Insight

[8/10 · 8 November 2003]

This movie really touched me. Nothing spectacular in film-making or stage design, but the trip to east Germany (shots of a world now gone) are monumental. The extents to which Alex goes to to keep his mother protected can seem an exaggeration but it is what keeps the film going until the very touching scene at the end. One can draw a parallel with Benigni's "la vita e bella" where the father creates an entire false world to protect his son. Here the son does it for his mother.

Yet in this film, it seems that this "protection" may be more important to the son than the mother herself! Insightful, well made and above all: humane. 8/10