Xenia

This movie isn't good. The acting is laughably bad, especially by the main character. The runtime could have been cut in half, and the movie would likely have been better. Also, there are a couple of unnecessary cringy dance scenes (you'll know it when you see it). The whole bunny-related trope's meaning isn't really explained and it just leaves viewers confused. Further, there's a gun-related scene that makes very little sense (I won't mention specifics in order to avoid spoilers). In a nutshell, it fails to engage viewers, it has bad acting, and it's unnecessarily drawn-out.

This is not a real review, it should be understood more as a collection of impressions on the film.

This film is almost indescribable because it is a modern odyssey where two brothers cement their relationship on a journey to find their father and somehow grow and establish themselves, this whole journey is dotted with picturesque characters who capture the attention and all the stories are interesting because the main stuff is this journey, but everything around it is very interesting from start to finish. In the film all the nooks and crannies of the protagonists' personalities are explored in a beautiful way, even if the main protagonist is the young boy, his brother also has a large space managed very well in the film.

Two brothers looking for their father after the death of mother. A realistic - poetic portrait of Greece realities, beautiful acting, well used symbols and a seductive story of self definition, growing up, family, friends, connections and expectations, with fair influences of Fellini and Almodovar. For many reasons, a surprising film for high honesty first. But beautiful and smart constructed, cold and touching.

this may contain spoiler

Greece has received great number of refugees and immigrants the last decades and that resulted in a huge reformation of its socio geographical landscape. The first wave of immigrants, in the early 90's, came from the neighboring Albania right after the fall of Hodja's regime. They are the largest ethnic group of immigrants in Greece up to today, while many of their children have been born in Greece but they are refused of citizenship rights, according to an anachronistic law that, hopefully, will be amended.

That situation is exactly what the movie is about. Two youngsters, of Albanian mother and a vaguely known Greek father, after the death of their mother put themselves in the search of the father, in order to get his testimony and obtain the long cherished Greek citizenship.There starts a juvenile road movie from the Greek capital towards the northern Thessaloniki, portraying scenes of the countryside as nature and human landscape, denoting the unbreakable bond between the two brothers, their struggle to survive in a not always welcoming society and their eagerness to change their fate.

The movie treats the delicate issue of the immigrants adaptation in the Greek society, which has corresponded in a controversial way. There were other Greek movies with similar theme, such as To kanarini Podilato (The Canary-color Bicycle) and O Dromos gia ti Disi (The Way to the West) but what differentiates this one is his hilarious attitude and optimism, which made it a teenage hit in Greece. People move on in their lives facing their realities and accepting their particularities without losing their innocence. As one of the protagonists says: ' We have no home, that means that all the world is our home.'

Thus cosmopolitanism, anti racism, anti-homophobic, two heartwarming young protagonists that call you to partake, a vivid scenario without clichés and full of surprises consist what could be an emblematic film for Greece in the 2010's

One of the very good modern Greek movies. Xenia is the evidence that a new line of Greek cinema is much needed and it can be successful. Xenia is a movie about everything that's going on in Greece this last decade. Homophobia, racism and far right political parties synthesize the core of this movie. Two brothers take a journey to try and find their place in the chaos that exists in modern Greece, as they feel like strangers both in the country that they were born into and in the country they come from. The relationship of the brothers is the centerpiece of the movie with Kostas Nikouli stealing every single frame with his charm and talent. Nikos Gelia is a good lead as well and the movie manages to capture the real emotions and bonds forming between them. In the end I was left with uncertainty but also with joy and hope for the future.