I was invited to a preview screening of Papadopoulos & Sons and went without any expectations one way or the other. The narrative is deceptively simple but hides a surprising number of subtexts that reveal themselves through the compact running time.
One one level, it's a straightforward recession era story of a family's struggle in dramatically reduced economic circumstances. The Greek diaspora background adds poignancy given that country's particularly fragile position within the economic crisis, but also adds a more mythological framework as a particularly ancient Greek style familial tragicomedy plays out with an onlooking comic chorus of London types from Kebab shop owners to asset stripping loss adjusters.
Deep down it is a warm hearted and unashamedly sentimental British family drama, albeit distinctively shot through with a Mediterranean sense of fable. A likable ensemble cast and an unobtrusive camera guide you through with a smile on your face.
One one level, it's a straightforward recession era story of a family's struggle in dramatically reduced economic circumstances. The Greek diaspora background adds poignancy given that country's particularly fragile position within the economic crisis, but also adds a more mythological framework as a particularly ancient Greek style familial tragicomedy plays out with an onlooking comic chorus of London types from Kebab shop owners to asset stripping loss adjusters.
Deep down it is a warm hearted and unashamedly sentimental British family drama, albeit distinctively shot through with a Mediterranean sense of fable. A likable ensemble cast and an unobtrusive camera guide you through with a smile on your face.