Angelos

I saw "Angelos" at a film festival in the 1980s, and watched it again on the web after almost three decades.

This movie has two essential qualities: courage and honesty. It was not easy to introduce viewers to this topic in 1982, and particularly not in such an open and "picturesque" way. Life on the margins has always existed, but the eyes of the (Greek) public were mainly closed. Most people did not want to see and acknowledge it. Therefore, the appearance of this movie caused such a big shock and reluctance.

On the other hand, the movie honestly shows that a bitter subject it engages with permeates various social milieus and communities, in this case the environment of poverty and despair. The scenes of "weird" transvestites' night life in Athens of the 1970-80s reflect the real situation on spot at the time, but such things have probably changed since then (have they really?), taking at least a different form.

One can discuss about the "external" qualities of this movie and acting (excluding excellent supporting roles of Angelos' sister and mother), but this does not diminish its overall result – a contribution to the cognition that there is no much choice when people are trapped by distressed life circumstances. However, we all have a right to life regardless if we did or did not choose by ourselves a certain kind of existence. We all pay at the end, one way or another. And, this is the main point of "Angelos".

Maybe not great, but this is a very good movie, and Greek cinema should not be ashamed of it. Quite the contrary!

I totally agree with the previous post.I watched the movie yesterday with my girlfriend and we both agree it was a total waste of time! It was garbage, to say the least!

First of all, the script was SO badly written! The dialogues are pompous and totally unreal.The main character is one of the most passive characters I've ever seen portrayed in a film. Apart from the final solution, his actions are never explained on a serious basis.

Then it's the pace of the movie. I mean it's the directors choice but I find that he sticks with certain scenes without reason and he fast forwards whenever he should be explaining the characters, their actions etc.

But the most frustrating fact about the movie I find it's the main character's acting performed by Maniatis.It is a very demanding role and he is bad enough to make the movie even worse than the script has destined it to be..

Other bummers are the sometimes unnecessary nudity scenes, the down-to-the-ground-LOW production "values" and the frequently asychronized dubbed dialogues.

A VERY BAD MOVIE, IN TOTAL! (and this is a Greek viewer's piece of mind..)

"Whatever! I'll do what I want!" -Eric Cartman, South Park.

I would like to write that the people that say this movie is really bad well they are wrong.!!! This is a true story , and Grecce at that time was very back (culture wise)in time it was like the 50ies for the States .... I was here when this happened (in Greece) and I'm very sorry to say that the people who watched this has no idea how the life in Greece was then. As for the Film well have you seen any Greek movies that were made good . Of course not cause Greek film is not the top ten, the States are . Im sorry to write that if you do not know the language and the culture then don't watch it as for the previous person I totally agree with him.

This movie is a dark depressing waste of time. I cannot understand how it was awarded anything. The main character is a Greek man who is in the process of coming out. This is the kind of self-loathing gay movie that thinks all gay men are transvestites and hustler's.

It doesn't even have the redeeming quality of attractive actors.

The DVD jacket talks of "ground breaking boldly told tragedy of innocence betrayed". The ones most betrayed are the folks that buy this rubbish.

I see nothing bold in portraying gay men as pathetic and unhappy and making sure that at least one dies by the end of the movie. This may be the directors' answer to "The Boys in the Band" (albeit told with less wit and more gloom), but who asked him?

BTW... There are so many movies named Angel that the IM database has the jacket picture for this film on another entry and no picture here. The jacket does show a greek man in a bad blond wig. He's in agony but that's probably because he just finished seeing this movie...