Nozz

I'm sure that anyone knowledgeable about the Greek music scene would be constantly nodding with informed appreciation of the people and events depicted in this movie, but as an ignoramus I liked it fine anyway. I'm not sure that the release I saw included all the two hours and twelve minutes. There seemed to be gaps in the time line, even taking into account the framing device of a retrospective interview, But they caused no great confusion. Although the musical performances were abbreviated, they were plentiful and enjoyable. The character of Stelios is sketched in broad but believable strokes, and if I can trust the web, the script respects the truth. In one way the protagonist conforms to the usual showbiz biopic formula--- he's brilliant but dedicated to his work at the expense of his family life. But on the other hand, he is a quixotic campaigner for his vision of justice.

As the movie begins, our protagonist is released after a long prison term. We follow him into a world that cares little about him, and we imagine his feelings (with the help of lighting, of a spare musical score, and-- oh, yes-- of understated but award-winning acting) as he stonily leaves them unexpressed in words. Then we encounter the movie's second lead, who is equally taciturn. That's a script problem, because the rest of the movie is largely about their relationship. The paucity of verbal interaction means that instead of complexity or subtlety, we need to settle for unpredictability. But we never stop caring about the protagonist.

Why the title? It seems almost as if it was plucked from the great All-Purpose Title bin. Maybe it's supposed to mean that although the sun shines for some of us, it consigns others to a life without brightness. The movie, as far as I could notice, provides no explanation.