El sabor de la vida

People before me have already written about the movie, its technical structure, historical facts, etc. I don't have so much to add to them. It is a good movie. Congratulations to everyone who had a place in the production. Performances of Turkish artists are pretty good. Tamer Karadagli showed that he can do better than he did in some TV series. Anyway, that's another story.

As some other people said, you don't need to be a Turk or Greek to enjoy this movie. Even though such bitter-sweet, somehow mellow movies are not my kind of movies, I loved this movie.

This movie is a humanist answer to all those Turk, Greek, English and American politicians and strategists who wanted to create hate between two nations.

And... We, Turks and Greeks, need more movies like that.

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.

Not since Cinema Paradiso have I seen a movie that put me through such an emotional roller coaster. I was laughing in one scene while the tears had still not dried up from the previous one. A cinematic masterpiece. A proof of the power of the human spirit and that of childhood innocence and purity that is often preserved in some adults.

The film is largely based on the real life experiences of the writer and director. This is the furthest from a commercial film in that it does not follow a canned script recipe. On the other hand, the quality of the production is outstanding: the CG sequences of Istanbul and Athens, crane and steady-cam shots...

One of the BEST films (Foreign or English-speaking) that I have seen in the last decade! Hollywood take note, this is one Oscar-worthy Greek film with breathtaking cinematography, beautiful music, a clever screenplay and a great cast. In a nostalgic way, it will remind the moviegoer that both food and life require 'a touch of spice' to achieve that extra flavor. A heart-warming yet bittersweet story about a special bond that forms between a grandfather/mentor and his grandson, when he was a little boy, which lingers throughout his life as a teenager and, finally, as an adult ... with a mix of politics during those times. And the pretty young girl, who dances for him ... It will make you laugh; it will make you cry and, most likely, you will also leave the cinema wishing it did not end.

I kept putting off seeing this film, because there was so much fuss about it, I was sure I was going to be disappointed. Well, I finally watched it last night and I was pleasantly surprised: This film is actually as good as most people say it is. At first glance it seems to be a film about food (which is not bad - hey, I love food), but turns out to be so much more. The reasons I liked it? Well, read on.

First of all, it is a way above average production for Greek film standards. Music, camera-work, photography, CGI, script,acting, everything is very well done. Some people complain about the CGI used, saying that it looks fake, that it looks more like a painting (mostly the shots of Istanbul), that it looks unrealistic. Well, they are probably right: it does look a bit unrealistic, but I think this is intentional. We see someone's memories and memories tend to be polished and larger than life.

Second, it is probably the only Greek film I've seen that, while dealing with a subject that only Greeks and Turks can really relate to, you don't have to be a Greek to enjoy it. It's easy on the eyes, it's touching, it's well written. And, amazingly, it deals with Greek-Turkish relationships without passing blame: it provides the facts but avoids passing judgment (this is actually very rare, as both Greeks and Turks tend to blame each other when these events are mentioned).

Finally, you end up feeling better (and hungry) after watching this film, which is reason enough to watch it. Highly recommended to everyone, I give this film 10 out of 10.