Worlds apart

Christoforos Papakaliatis is a very talented Greek director who has made some of the most amazing series, including Maestro in Blue, of course. However, when it comes to movies none of his work really stands out. The same applies to Worlds Apart. The cast is excellent, cinematography too, the music is good, great attention to every detail (all typical traits of a perfectionist like Papakaliatis) but the plot is simply lackluster. In many instances, it is quite unrealistic, cliche and based on way too many "coincidences". Overall, it is an enjoyable movie to watch but it is neither thought or emotion provoking.

I felt quite heavy watching the movie. I don't understand politics, in fact everything about Greece is Greek to me as of today. The story reminded me of "A boy in stripped pajamas" reinforcing my belief that almost always some one innocent has to pay for the wrong deeds of not so innocent. And all such acts against innocent people get registered in the vibrations of the universe - whether being done rightfully or wrongfully. No wrong that is done persistently to a weaker group/ person and stays hidden from the eyes of the public (that can correct that wrong), is not given back to the universe- it always returns to the universe. That simple truth was very stressed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We cannot justify wrongs to the innocent but usually that is the way for many to behave and for universal vibrations to respond. The movie "A Boy In Stripped Pajamas" had shaken me after I had completed the movie. "Worlds Apart" movie not so much but I liked the love stories.

Ιn spite of the economic crisis, some wonderful films have been recently released in Greece. This is one of them. Though not its target, it will make you too wonder how a country like mine has got to this mess. And perhaps it will push you to discovering it. If you do, you will even more wonder how a nation with such an amazing infrastructure and culture (neat modern cities/towns/villages with beautiful brand new buildings all over, ultra modern cultural complexes among which the unique brand new opera house-national library cultural park in Athens, fantastic museums, hospitals, science and education institutions, modern highways, sport centers etc etc and above all beautiful people+a highly educated modern young and not only generation, the country of M. Kallas, M.Mercury, N.Mouskouri,M. Theodorakis, Nober prize winners Elytis and Seferis, the country of Mykonos-Corfu-Rhodes etc) could ever find itself into such a catastrophic turmoil. This film won't answer your questions but will give you an idea of the causes. And at the same time will touch your heart with its humanistic message of how love (not any love, the specific love that the Greeks have a special name for and that is "Eros") can bring together in a magic way, persons which have learned/have been taught, that the "others" and only, never themselves, are to blame for their misery. Funny thing that though the magic of this place is not at all what the film is focusing on, anything but that, this magic is simply invincible and impossible to hide. The film is a very good one. And i mean in international standards. It will touch your heart and will make you cry even if you find the story a little unrealistic which is partly true. Yet, even if you see it as a modern fairy-tale, you will have to acknowledge that its background is absolutely realistic and true and will probably make you too revise some of your own ideas about things, like its characters do.

I'm no fan of love stories but I am interested in both Greece and Europe's refugee problem and this film is as much about those as they are about love. As a DVD it seemed a choice that my wife would probably enjoy, and I was right, she loved it and so did I. It's about youth, people at the height of their careers, and love in the twilight years. Surprisingly I related strongly to all three stories which run seamlessly one into another. They're all acted beautifully with J K Simmons left as a sort of dessert with Maria Kavoyianni as the cherry.

The director, Christopher Papakaliatis, who apparently also wrote the script, deserves a real budget and a shot at the best suitable script that comes along. The evidence is abundant in this movie but the best example of it is a dressing down that happens near the end of the movie, it's wonderful.

To think of all the grief that's rained down on Greece thanks to the refugee crisis, and then to watch this compassionate Greek take on the problem makes the US response look positively juvenile.

One can see clearly negative reviews are by fascists and nationalists portrayed in this movie. Yes the migration problem was over exaggerated, but still a fantastic movie.