Le Blues du Maestro

This debut of a Greek production on Netflix is remarkable. It has all the ingredients that make for a great cinematic experience: diverse themes that affect ordinary people, titillating music, engaging dialogue (terse but thoughtful, sometimes witty and wise) and creative use of foreboding.

The viewer is able to relate to each of the major characters. Episodes are devoted to a major character. Orestis, Haris, Sofia, Fanis, Maria, Michalis and Haralambos come to life. Thus, the viewer knows how he/she develops. Compelling drama then ensues as the characters interact.

The settings help in making a heart-rending story: the idyllic Greek islands of Paxos and Corfu on the Ionian Sea.

Haris Alexiou, Maris Kavoyianni, Marisha Triantafyllidou, Christopher Papakaliatis, and the young actors Khelia Andriolatou and Orestis Chalkias deserve our ovation.

Now that Greek cinema has caught the attention of Netflix, do we expect more of the same quality Greek films from this video streaming leader? Parakalos.

Oh how we love to hate that we like Papakaliatis' work, well, at least partially. He most definitely isn't some inventive, original, break-through mastermind. However, I think he's a clever cinema lover with good taste and charm, who knows how to pick actors (and singers apparently -wow, just wow) and what it takes to create an engaging spectacle that appeals to the vast majority of the audience (possible haters who are in fact secret watchers included):

• A catchy story. A mixture of love -always forbidden, relevant/trendy social/political issues, lots of drama and a dose of humor to lighten things up.

• Beauty. From the astonishing female lead to the wonderful cinematography and meticulously chosen music, everybody and everything are beautiful, super clean and tidy, extremely detail oriented.

But apart from these elements that tick Papakaliatis' boxes and most importantly, Maestro offers top notch acting. Natural, simple and truthful acting, that makes you forget his occasional beloved weaknesses: the copied scenes/dialogues from other movies/series, the cringey lines, his favorite Woody Allenish monologues and dialogues, the stereotypes, the politically correct preaching, criticizing capitalism from a capitalistic point of view like talking to a 5 yo (no hints or meaningful scenes, just spoon fed ideology) and the fact that he cannot resist keeping the male leading role (always portraying the moody, nice, romantic, charismatic guy that all women fall for) for himself. I must say though, I found him to be much more mature and relaxed here, acting and directing wise. Bottom-line, I enjoyed Maestro. It's well deserved being on Netflix, it's a huge success and well done to everybody.

Powerful! That's the only word that comes to mind when thinking about this show. Mainly known for their cuisine, and the beauty of their country, here the Greeks have, unlike what the large majority might expect, hit hard with this incredible piece of art. Their entry on the largest streaming platform in the world certainly did not go by unoticed nor dissapoint as the series easily found its way to the top 10 list for tv shows in many countries around the globe. The production designer of this series should definitely be applauded for the selection of the many sets, and locations, all of which were breathtakingly outstanding. Also, the actors knew exactly what they were doing when came the time to perform. They may be unknown for the large majority of us, but that did not prevent them from shining to the best of their ability for the whole planet to see. Additionally, knowing that this show told the story of a musician, I was not expecting anything less from the soundtrack. Saying that the composers nailed it in that area would be a understatement. So go ahead, watch it, watch it, watch it, for the actors who played wonderfully, for the plot that grips you from start to finish, as well as for the lanscapes that showcase Greece's natural appeal. You will not be deceived.

Great job from Christopher Papakaliatis! Maestro is a show about human relationships, difficult choices, boundaries and significant social issues like domestic violence. The story gets better and deeper as the episodes flaw. The characters are developed slowly and nicely as they face their everyday reality and struggles with their "demons".

The cast is truly amazing! What can I say about Maria Kavogianni??? She makes me cry with her performance sometimes.. For me her story is the most heartbreaking and touching..

The scenery is absolutely brilliant, as it takes place in a beautiful Greek island full of blue and green! The style is vintage and the music background fits nicely.

This mini-series really worths a try!!

Finally, the Greek television comes back with a high quality series; on direction, cinematography, script and music. Beautiful scenery in the islands of Paxoi and Corfu, fantastic music in the background and well thought-through dialogue depicting the, unfortunately, hard-to-face truth about remote Greek communities.

The series will offer an opportunity through Netflix for people abroad to watch outstanding Greek actors, such as Kavogianni, Mouratidis and Tsortekis, as well as musician Alexiou. Papakaliatis invites dialogue on deeply rooted patriarchy, domestic abuse, homophobia and political agendas. However, also highlights the beauty of the Greek culture; the generosity, community, cultural appreciation and history, strong family unity and what is widely known as "filotimo".

Overall, the show is at a similar level of production as series that come from other countries. It is worth your attention and I highly recommend. On a plus side, it will probably convince you - if you are still considering - to visit Greece.