Enas allos kosmos

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.

Go to watch this movie if you like thinking outside the box, if you like exploring different characters, if you are not fully uncomfortable challenging stereotypes. The plot is highly realistic with a good pace from scene to scene throughout the movie. There is a balance between positive and negative aspects of life. The main characters developed by Christoforos Papakaliatis seem to be able to distinguish good from bad but are not always able to follow the pathway of compassion. Understanding an individual of another nation seems to be an extremely difficult task especially if you are not in love with him or her. Apart from the plot, three different ones to be specific, that meet towards the end of the movie; acting was realistic and photography was great. The movie kept you wanting to find more about the characters while politics and how it shapes peoples lives was kept at the background through the movie. This is a great balanced movie!

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.

I watched it yesterday and I kept my expectations rather high, because the main theme of the movie and the way it shapes politics concerns me in a direct manner. It was even better than I expected it. The script is extremely interesting, especially if you like movies that have to do with the society and politics. I daresay it depicted my country, Greece, as it is in reality. With both its breathtaking beauty and its ugliness. What mostly enthralled me though, was the directing and the photography. On the whole, it was a movie that captivated you frame by frame. The acting was another surprise, although it should not have been, with such an impressive casting. Niki Vakali and Tawfeek Barhom were two names, which I am going to remember and watch over from right on. Andrea Osvart was pleasantly fitting to her role, like it was written for her. JK Simmons and Maria Kavogianni amazed me with the natural innocence of their romance. There was chemistry and simultaneously their acting was enviable. And, lastly, Christopher Papakaliatis has to be congratulated, because he did not only direct and write the film, but he also gave a fairly good performance.