AngSkl

"Ballad for a Pierced Heart" exceeds all expectations and brings something new to the table that Greek Cinema has never seen before. Black comedy, Drama, Noir. Director Yannis Economides successfully merges all those genres into one masterfully executed and acted(!) film, ready to inspire a new generation of filmmakers. The cinematography is excellent and fits perfectly with the tone the director was going for. There really are no big flaws with this "Ballad", maybe if I had to nitpick I would say that the score of the film is sometimes a little bit off but it never takes you out of the experience. In conclusion "Ballad for a Pierced Heart" is absolutely what it needed to by both for the audience and the modern era of Greek Cinema.

Stratos (To Mikro Psari) is a Greek Neo-Noir and it perfectly captures the corrupted and underground life of our protagonist who struggles to find his way into life after jail. The directing is unique, fresh and a perfect match for the style of the movie, making Greek cinema noticable in an ocean of "European Art Films". The cinematography is almost excellent for the film and matches perfectly the directors vision and the feel of the script. The actors are all doing a great job with what they're given and if I had to nitpick and find a flaw(which is not easy) I would probably say that the runtime sometimes feels kind of slow at times but if you're really immersed into the plot, you won't even notice the 137 min passing. In conclusion Stratos is excellent for what it was going for and it really adds something to the genre. Don't miss out on it!

With a few words, Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece shows the good, warm and colourful inner side of people and what happens when the world puts his metal hands inside of it. A. Clockwork. Orange.