42 reviews
I saw this movie at its premiere, at Rotterdam International Film Festival 2016. The plot is a really simple story of a disappointed 40-something year old man, Kostis (Makis Papadimitriou, "Chevalier"), who, while working as a doctor in Antiparos island, falls passionately in love with a young Anna (Elli Trigkou). The movie is set in the beautiful, yet crazy scenery of Antiparos, and it portrays its atmosphere and hedonistic frenzy in a vivid and realistic way. The drunkenness of summer and the liberal power of youth, as captured by the lens of Argyris Papadimitropoulos ("Wasted Youth"), are constantly being collated with the awkward phase of the middle aged body and the protagonist's useless struggle of overlooking it. The photography and visuals of the movie are stunning. Each frame is carefully set in a way that the characters inner selves are revealed through nature. The documentary-like feel of some of them serves as a catalyst in enclosing the atmosphere of the place through the unfolding of the plot. The body, and the ways we perceive it are also part of the plot, so be prepared for a lot of nudism and strong language. Makis Papadimitriou seems to be the best choice of portraying the disappointed, dissatisfied man who falls victim of his own passions. His performance is excellent, realistic and never over the top. Elli Trigkou is also convincing as Anna, and the rest of the cast seems to be carefully chosen. All in all, this movie is the vivid and painful hymn of the coming of middle age. A must see.
- markela-vicious
- Apr 23, 2016
- Permalink
First, sorry for my poor English.
This is one of the most real movies I have ever seen, the acting is awesome, it's so good that I don't know if the actors are not just ordinary guys and girls been themselves.
They say the perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add but when there is nothing else to remove, and I think this movie is all about that, straight and honest like life, nothing redundant. The one thing that can be improved is the soundtrack, something more like Chambao would be great but overall good job even on this matter.
If you ever been in love and ever been heartbroken if you ever been alive you'll love that movie, really love it, you'll hate it and love it at the same time.
This is one of the most real movies I have ever seen, the acting is awesome, it's so good that I don't know if the actors are not just ordinary guys and girls been themselves.
They say the perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add but when there is nothing else to remove, and I think this movie is all about that, straight and honest like life, nothing redundant. The one thing that can be improved is the soundtrack, something more like Chambao would be great but overall good job even on this matter.
If you ever been in love and ever been heartbroken if you ever been alive you'll love that movie, really love it, you'll hate it and love it at the same time.
Kostis, a glum, middle-aged doctor, arrives with his pot-belly and receding hairline on a small Greek island to run the local clinic. It is winter and the island feels quiet and isolated - conversation for Kostis consists mainly of the local ageing Lothario promising him a United Nations of 'pussy' when the tourist season starts. Sure enough, summer brings with it hordes of tourists, and Kostis falls in with a group of twentysomethings who, when they are not partying hard in the local nightclubs, spend their time on the clothing-optional beach. They are all sleek and lovely (excepting one particularly horrendous beard) and among them Kostis sticks out like a sore thumb, but they tolerate him until he starts to drink increasingly heavily and ignore his duties at the clinic, indicating he is not as amusingly harmless as he at first appeared.
Efthymis Papadimitriou turns in a good performance, portraying well both Kostis' pathetic eagerness to please the youngsters and providing a nice line in staring-eyed obsessiveness. He is also brave, offering to the camera his doughy, hairy body which is in marked contrast to the tanned firmness of the younger actors. The other characters - both tourists and locals - are all pretty much two-dimensional stereotypes, with the exception of Anna, young leader of the group and object of Kostis' admiration. Elli Triggou manages to make her not too obnoxious.
As soon as Kostis finds happiness with the group, movie law dictates that things are not going to end well and in that the film is entirely predictable - and I found that waiting for the inevitable embarrassment to happen distracted me from the rest of the film. So I am not sure I would bother to watch it again, but it was worth seeing once.
Efthymis Papadimitriou turns in a good performance, portraying well both Kostis' pathetic eagerness to please the youngsters and providing a nice line in staring-eyed obsessiveness. He is also brave, offering to the camera his doughy, hairy body which is in marked contrast to the tanned firmness of the younger actors. The other characters - both tourists and locals - are all pretty much two-dimensional stereotypes, with the exception of Anna, young leader of the group and object of Kostis' admiration. Elli Triggou manages to make her not too obnoxious.
As soon as Kostis finds happiness with the group, movie law dictates that things are not going to end well and in that the film is entirely predictable - and I found that waiting for the inevitable embarrassment to happen distracted me from the rest of the film. So I am not sure I would bother to watch it again, but it was worth seeing once.
- costas-81556
- Oct 14, 2018
- Permalink
- MOscarbradley
- Aug 19, 2018
- Permalink
I was not preparing for something serious after the first 10-15 minutes of the film; after which my wife left the room, offended by the nudity. We are both Greek-born and were used to the old ways, though we were quite aware of what modernism has brought to Greek beaches. But the movie was not about nudity. It was the drama of a middle-aged man who had not tasted the joys of life, being glum and relatively ordinary. But a young Aphrodite partying with her friends caught his attention. The movie relentlessly follows his obsession, and if Nabokov invented Lolita, this story gets more intense. I would say the Greeks have learned something about tragedy. I was dazzled by the excellent photography and the gorgeous Greek island. Not an absolute masterpiece but close to one.
- csantas1111
- Jun 20, 2017
- Permalink
A good portrait of a lonely man being pulled into the world of drinking and debauchery when his world is lit up by the youthfulness of a woman half his age. The development is impressive, the transition and slipping from responsibilities, it all makes a good plot, but the film never really changes pace. Impressions can be made and changed of the characters throughout the film, but ultimately it's just sad, and never fully draws you in. Certainly to be enjoyed by a particular audience, a far cry from the mainstream.
- deepfrieddodo
- Jan 20, 2022
- Permalink
I have to say that I really enjoyed the way this film unfolded. And it seldom happens watching movies anymore, lately scenarios are predictable and repetitive, this one is none of these. The director did a superb job in building up his characters. The movie's main theme shows how desire can blind you to the point that you have no self awareness, where the central character becomes hypnotized and losses all sense of his dignity and humanity. Makis Papadimitriou who plays a single, unloved solitary man in his 50'sis, does a superb job. He is an older man who falls madly in love and although at times he had to be excessive, his acting was realistic and left me suffocating, wanting to get into the screen to stop him. The cinematography was amazing, set in a sleepy sandy little Greek island, a paradise, a place that we would all want to fall in love.
Don't get me wrong I really liked this movie, the direction and screenwriting was great; made me feel a bit proud that my country is producing such liberating and artistic projects. However, as much as I liked the plot and the storyline when the movie came to an end I was left with a really uncomfortable feeling. Reading the reviews to find probably a hint of what really bothered me, I was shocked to see that everyone kind of "blamed" the girl (Anna) about what happen to her; but I am not here to talk about that...
In my opinion, the movie gives an opposing feeling of what summer vacation is usually depicted in Greece and I guess this is what made me feel uncomfortable. Tourists come to the greek islands to experience feelings of carelessness and liberation, but the movie shifts these feelings into something completely dark and twisted. You never really know who you will meet in a place that looks like a paradise, even if that person looks completely harmless.
- planktonrules
- May 20, 2017
- Permalink
It is the kind of movies that makes you think that the absence of nudity would make it even more clear that it is not a good picture in terms of narration, acting, direction, plot- because especially in Greece people tent to take this as a criterion. After the first 15 minutes of the movie you can clearly see the intention of the story as a whole. The acting of the main characters is way too obvious and gives you the impression that you just don't need to think on your own about their purposes etc, pushing you on having no questions about their intentions, creating suspense for noone but the characters of the movie and distancing the viewer as the greek tv shows do. It's bad to consider that movies like this form the so called "greek cinema". Probably first draft story.
Makis papadimitriou and Eleni Triggou are good actors but in this movie seemed like they were totally left alone.
I have been watching Greek cinema since 2009. This is the best Greek film I have watched since then. Also is the best film of Argyris Papadimitropoulos.
- lotane-05661
- Jul 26, 2022
- Permalink
A hypnotic and rather enchanting depiction of one beautiful summer than doesn't end well.
It is quietly enchanting in the way it just shows inter-generational bonding as a nondescript physician and a bunch of youths live it up in the sun after a chance encounter.
A part of me wished they had been less candid with the nudity but i acknowledge that it sets the movie apart from some erotic thriller.
It is from the start a charming but ineffably disquieting story of how there is a lonely monster inside the seemingly most normal, professional people.
It is quietly enchanting in the way it just shows inter-generational bonding as a nondescript physician and a bunch of youths live it up in the sun after a chance encounter.
A part of me wished they had been less candid with the nudity but i acknowledge that it sets the movie apart from some erotic thriller.
It is from the start a charming but ineffably disquieting story of how there is a lonely monster inside the seemingly most normal, professional people.
- GiraffeDoor
- Jun 15, 2019
- Permalink
The idea of an older man falling for a younger woman is nothing new in the history of the cinema. Our doctor is a man with personal relationship and professional failures who finishes up on a small Greek island just before Christmas. The place is dull in winter with really nothing around to interest him. Come summer and the place is buzzing with young tourists out for sun and sex. Elli Tringou is excellent as the pretty young woman who comes to him as a patient and shows an interest in the doctor as a person. The doctor's new young friend is a bit of a flirt. The doctor becomes smitten and soon is trying to spend more time around her and her set of friends. We know how this relationship is going to turn out long before the end. I didn't feel any empathy towards the doctor. He really should have known better!
- mrmac-42561
- Jun 3, 2019
- Permalink
This film begins with a man by the name of "Kostis Makridis" (Makis Papadimitriou) arriving by ferry to the small Greek island of Antiparos where he is to work as the village doctor. Since it is the winter there really isn't much for him to do but six months later the island attracts numerous tourists which helps maintain the village economy. It's then that a young woman named "Anna" (Elli Tringou) is carried into the clinic by some of her friends because of a motorcycle accident. After a quick examination Kostis tells her that she will be fine and in gratitude she invites him to join her friends for some fun on the beach. Kostis reluctantly accepts but little does he know that his life will dramatically change afterward. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an interesting film which captured the wild and hedonistic lifestyles of young men and women seeking pleasure above everything else. And to that end there is quite a bit of nudity-so viewer discretion may be advised. Additionally, although it is billed as a comedy I failed to see any humor whatsoever. Even so, I still thought it was an enjoyable film for the most part and because of that I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
Argyris Papadimitropoulos' film 'Suntan' tells an unfortunately familliar and painful story: someone flirts, whether for good or bad reasons, with a lonely person; and that person responds with undue seriousness. The film's problems lies less in the fact that it's not exactly cheerful, but more in the fact that it's not really convincing. The central character is a doctor, but his personal decorum is quite unlike that of any doctor I've ever known; quite why a girl takes even a passing interest in him is unclear; and how he can deceive himself that things are ever going well as he tries to integrate into her crowd is also unclear. It's not that humans aren't capable of telling themselves stories, particularly where sex is concerned, but a story needs a seed, and this one seems to grow out of nothing. The resulting tregedy is thus not just painful to watch, but also a little bizarre.
- paul2001sw-1
- Aug 30, 2019
- Permalink
First of all, the goodies: perfect acting, perfect script, perfect scenery, perfect beauty. This is a 10/10 movie.
Now the warning: this film kicks you in the guts and you will agonize in the dirt for hours. You cannot help feeling pity for the forty something doc... and of course, for yourself... even though everybody has to learn the lesson eventually to:
Coursebook case study of midlife crisis.
Unfortunately, it hurts like hell.
Fortunately... it hurts like hell.
It hurts like hell.
Now the warning: this film kicks you in the guts and you will agonize in the dirt for hours. You cannot help feeling pity for the forty something doc... and of course, for yourself... even though everybody has to learn the lesson eventually to:
- let go
- withdraw
- leave the stage behind to give space for the next generation.
Coursebook case study of midlife crisis.
Unfortunately, it hurts like hell.
Fortunately... it hurts like hell.
It hurts like hell.
- hannynorbert
- Sep 24, 2017
- Permalink
Ultimately, this is about a middle-aged, balding, chubby male doctor undergoing a midlife crisis by falling for a girl half his age. That's it. That's the movie in a nutshell. She's a hippy type who hangs around with her young mates and seems to have a knack for teasing this man who falls for her big time. He becomes enraged when she doesn't reciprocate and exacts his revenge in a brutal way. This isn't a well made film. It feels more like somebody's holiday movie with very long scenes with not very much taking place. There seems no point to it. There's no moral in the story. And you will be very disappointed by the ending as I was. At one point the girl says to him 'I'm bored. Let's leave', ultimately summing up this whole movie. Don't waste ninety minutes you'll never get back.
Mid-life crisis alert !
It's probably one of the best shot films of the modern greek cinema i've watched. It kinda gives off french new wave vibes but in darker and more dramatic way.
The daring nude scenes (spoiler alert: they are plenty) were actually well shot and and not provocative as we usually see in other modern greek movies.
The protagonist delivered a solid performance (knowing him from greek cinema and tv I wasn't quite sure he would suit the role, being mostly known for his comedic portraials, but as it ended up he went pretty well) I would rate the movie even higher if I'd liked the ending more. It was kinda extreme for my taste.
In general, i can't say i wasted my time watching this one.
It's probably one of the best shot films of the modern greek cinema i've watched. It kinda gives off french new wave vibes but in darker and more dramatic way.
The daring nude scenes (spoiler alert: they are plenty) were actually well shot and and not provocative as we usually see in other modern greek movies.
The protagonist delivered a solid performance (knowing him from greek cinema and tv I wasn't quite sure he would suit the role, being mostly known for his comedic portraials, but as it ended up he went pretty well) I would rate the movie even higher if I'd liked the ending more. It was kinda extreme for my taste.
In general, i can't say i wasted my time watching this one.
- chrisbidis
- Sep 25, 2022
- Permalink
This movie was not at all what I expected. This is a deeply disturbing tale of a nerdy island doctor that becomes obsessed with a Greek tourist over the Summer months, and, whose life spirals out of control. The story foreshadows trouble based upon the doctor's discussions of past issues in the evolution of his career. The acting is stellar. From the very beginning we meet the Doctor and while he says little, there appears to be more going on. Only as the story unravels do we see how complex he really is. The Direction is strong. The story builds, as does the pace. A great, small, little known film that is worth seeing. This is in Greek, with English Subtitles.
- tkdlifemagazine
- Jun 22, 2024
- Permalink