Sur le chemin de la vie

Ok, all of you who liked Godzilla will hate this one. But for somebody who thinks movies like Underground have something to say, it's more than worth a look. The movie is actually three films. In the first one (Ola ine dromos) a father goes to the place where his son, a soldier, suicided. In the second (i teleutaia nanochina) Thanassis Veggos, imho one of the best Greek actors ever, is a forest-guard in a Prespa, a lake in the northern borders of Greece and chases illegal hunters. In the last one (Vietnam) the director shows the lowest level of what is sometimes called (but isn't fortunately) modern greek culture. Vietnam is a night club where a newly divorced guy spends a fortune just to prove that he's something.

While the bracketing two segments are very good, the middle segment, "White Geese"(?) is the one which stood out. It is a story about two aviary biologists who are visiting a game preserve to find the last of a species of white geese. In long takes, the film shows the beauty and value of the preserve, and takes the viewer into the heart of the game warden. When poachers come hunting, the segment reaches a startling climax.

This is a beautifully shot movie, with interesting stories and solid acting. Information about what is happening is slowly reeled out, keeping the audience thinking and engaged.

This is one of the best Greek movies I have seen in the last years. Three stories dealing with three men and their stance towards life, given their personal background. All stories are held in Northern Greece (Macedonia and Thrace), covering all the spectrum from urban to rural settings. Very solid scenario, wonderful photography (especially the Delta of river Evros) and amazing performances by all three protagonists. On the flip side, some minor issues are that a lot of situations appear artificial, without the atmosphere leading naturally to them and that the quality of the supporting cast is generally sub-par (notable exception is the third story, more on that later).

The first story is generally considered the weakest. I had the same opinion myself when I first saw this movie when it came out, but seeing it again and from a different perspective I can now say it is equally beautiful (whoever has served his military duty would really appreciate this one!).

The second story is somewhat neutral until Veggos comes to the foreground. He takes this story on his shoulders and delivers a memorable performance. This story is mostly based on Veggos acting and Evros' Delta aquatic life, but I have to give a credit to the ending, which is unexpected and exceptional.

And then we arrive at the third story, almost everyone's favorite and already elevated to "essential classic" status among Greek cinema lovers. It has the best ever representation of what in Greece we call "dog" clubs and are now a cult phenomenon. The singers were real "dog" singers (remember Spyros Dimitriou - "Makis, you and I will never die", how cool was that!) and the songs real "dog" songs (which unfortunately weren't included in the movie soundtrack). Special credit to the authentic dog club feel, which is worked out to the very last head gesture. As the story progresses, it reaches levels of supreme cult coolness. The very last scene rightfully makes it to the top-10 scenes of Greek cinema. And I don't think any other actor could play the lead role with such a quality Armenis did. He was magnificent.

In general, a movie with depth and class. Far beyond classic no brainers, but still has some minor identity problems. I would suggest it to anyone lucky enough to find it.

"Ola einai dromos" is a film i enjoyed very much.Although the language and the situations it refers are Hellenic I think that the message of the film(three different men and the way they view life) is international. The three main actors were great (I especially enjoyed Vegos and Armenis ) and the script one of the best Hellenic scripts of recent times.I strongly encourage anyone who can see this film(I dont know if it has been translated)to watch it just for the joy of watching the actors.

Three stories taking place in North Greece. So, OK, the first two are admittedly a bit weak, but they are strongly helped by strong performances by two truly great actors; in the first one, Dimitris Katalifos makes you feel the deep sorrow of the father who has lost his only son, and the scene at the village cafe is truly powerful; and in the second one, Thanasis Vegos (perhaps the all-time greatest Greek comedian, who in his old age has also shown a great capacity in dramatic roles), delivers another fine performance, emphasized by the shocking ending.

And then comes the third story...

Giorgos Armenis is abandoned by his wife, who takes their children with her. Overcome in the deepest degree with pain and sorrow, he goes to the cheap nightclub-brothel where he was a regular customer and there he goes to the extremes... Rarely has a Greek filmaker expressed such powerful emotions as Pantelis Voulgaris in this one. And rarely has a Greek actor given such an unbelievable performance as G. Armenis. Every look of his face, every word that comes out of his mouth makes the heart grieve and the eyes fill with tears. This one is a great experience not to be missed.