O Theos agapaei to haviari, the epic story of sailor, entrepreneur and national hero Ioannis Varvakis, has triumphed at the box office in dark times for the country's self-worth
The Greeks never used to have hero issues. But heroes have been in short supply in the country's hour of need, which could explain the rush to cinemas to spend time in the company of an 18th-century pirate turned luxury foodstuffs tycoon. Recent release O Theos agapaei to haviari (God Loves Caviar) is the story of Ioannis Varvakis, an Enlightenment-era rapscallion who sided with the Russians in their 1768 war with the Turks, befriended Catherine the Great and built a fortune out of sturgeon eggs – then gave it all away to help his motherland fight the Ottoman empire. It's not exactly all-action Pirates of the Aegean; with Catherine Deneuve as Catherine, John Cleese as an English colonial officer and The Lives of Others...
The Greeks never used to have hero issues. But heroes have been in short supply in the country's hour of need, which could explain the rush to cinemas to spend time in the company of an 18th-century pirate turned luxury foodstuffs tycoon. Recent release O Theos agapaei to haviari (God Loves Caviar) is the story of Ioannis Varvakis, an Enlightenment-era rapscallion who sided with the Russians in their 1768 war with the Turks, befriended Catherine the Great and built a fortune out of sturgeon eggs – then gave it all away to help his motherland fight the Ottoman empire. It's not exactly all-action Pirates of the Aegean; with Catherine Deneuve as Catherine, John Cleese as an English colonial officer and The Lives of Others...
- 11/20/2012
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
And Hates the Proletariat: Greek Costume Drama Stinks to High Heaven
Greek director Yannis Smaragdis began his career in the mid 1970’s as a writer/director, making only a handful of feature films since. Some of these have been more celebrated than others and you’d be hard pressed to find a copy of any of his titles stateside. This is usually unfortunate for the avid cinephile, but not always. If you’re ever in a desperate search for his latest title, God Loves Caviar, you might be in for a resounding disappointment. Turgid, awkward, and as insincere as they come, this historical melodrama is one painfully orchestrated scene after the other.
This is based on the true story of Ionnis Varvakis (Sebastian Koch), a Greek pirate, turned successful businessman and finally, national benefactor. We first see Varvakis as an aged man suffering from a contagious disease, about to be delivered to a sanatorium.
Greek director Yannis Smaragdis began his career in the mid 1970’s as a writer/director, making only a handful of feature films since. Some of these have been more celebrated than others and you’d be hard pressed to find a copy of any of his titles stateside. This is usually unfortunate for the avid cinephile, but not always. If you’re ever in a desperate search for his latest title, God Loves Caviar, you might be in for a resounding disappointment. Turgid, awkward, and as insincere as they come, this historical melodrama is one painfully orchestrated scene after the other.
This is based on the true story of Ionnis Varvakis (Sebastian Koch), a Greek pirate, turned successful businessman and finally, national benefactor. We first see Varvakis as an aged man suffering from a contagious disease, about to be delivered to a sanatorium.
- 9/27/2012
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
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