Although you get a bit of a TV feeling watching this film, it's been a long time since the Greek audience had a laugh like this watching a Greek movie or even a foreign one, as good comedies are hard to find these days.The film explores the sexual fears, problems and orientations of the modern Greeks heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals in very witty way as it tells the story of many different couples that not all of them know each other but another couple is the connecting link between them.The only time they all meet is in the end.It's very difficult to bind together all those different and parallel stories without confusing the audience but the writers - also directors - of the film succeeded not to do so.
21 Reviews
Is it a coincidence that in Greece,"Safe Sex" made a better opening than Titanic?
makser11 November 1999
OK,Greek movie industry was not at its best during last 20 years but this movie is a sign of improvement.Without any strange or difficult meanings hidden behind the words or the images but with pure humor supported by some trash talking(although properly used), "Safe Sex" is a "Safe Entertainment" for the viewer.
Eight different stories about usual people with usual or unusual sex problems(or is it love problems?),which at the end are mixed in a smart way.
The cast includes about 40 very well known actors who have already many successes in TV and theatre.The script and directing duet have also made big TV hits and a theatrical success.
The audience in Greece loved it.Is it a coincidence that ,"Safe Sex" made a better opening than Titanic?No, and it's sure that this movie will be a hit bigger than many blockbusters.
Eight different stories about usual people with usual or unusual sex problems(or is it love problems?),which at the end are mixed in a smart way.
The cast includes about 40 very well known actors who have already many successes in TV and theatre.The script and directing duet have also made big TV hits and a theatrical success.
The audience in Greece loved it.Is it a coincidence that ,"Safe Sex" made a better opening than Titanic?No, and it's sure that this movie will be a hit bigger than many blockbusters.
A brilliant film - don't miss it
cronos-1529 July 2009
A really brilliant film and a must-see one! I disagree with all those who mentioned all the "negative" issues. If you expected a "cult" movie then you should go to see an other film - although from my point of view, IT IS a "cult" movie and a classic. You know pretty well what I mean! I enjoyed every minute of the film and I keep seeing it regularly. The 2 writers are brilliant and they have proved their talent repeatedly. Brilliant actors in the film as well, the best that the Greek cinema could offer! Despite everything, this film IS a classic! It made me laugh so much when I saw it first. And it does keep making me laugh every time I watch it!
One of the funniest movies of modern Greek cinematography
schorschi1004 August 2005
The movie is simply excellent. No wonder it was an absolute hit in the Greek theaters. It has great humor (although sometimes a bit vulgar), everything is said as it should be said, and with a set of parallel stories, the modern Athenian society is criticized. One recognizes all figures in the immediate community. The cuttings are excellent, the casting simply the best comedians available at the time and the lines hilarious.
I find it one of the best comedies of Greek cinematography, and everyone loved it. The only exceptions were "cinephils" who expected high class cinema, and refuse to accept funny everyday situation as art. I believe the art of making your audience laugh (a task in which both creators Reppas and Papathanassiou are masters, and very well known and appreciated from the Greek TV) is not only considerably more difficult than to sell any crap as wrapped art not to be understood by the average audience, but it even dares to put a mirror in the face of every spectator and have them encounter their own reality.
Many critics didn't like it for it was not artistic enough. The audience loved it and simply made an unprecedented box office hit out of it. If you like sitcoms than, the movie is a must.
I find it one of the best comedies of Greek cinematography, and everyone loved it. The only exceptions were "cinephils" who expected high class cinema, and refuse to accept funny everyday situation as art. I believe the art of making your audience laugh (a task in which both creators Reppas and Papathanassiou are masters, and very well known and appreciated from the Greek TV) is not only considerably more difficult than to sell any crap as wrapped art not to be understood by the average audience, but it even dares to put a mirror in the face of every spectator and have them encounter their own reality.
Many critics didn't like it for it was not artistic enough. The audience loved it and simply made an unprecedented box office hit out of it. If you like sitcoms than, the movie is a must.
Take a break all of you
itsi5326 June 2003
I really-really enjoyed that film. The directors are highly-intelligent persons. They also have great sense of humor. Well done. Don't bother sending comments like "there is no plot" and things like that. If you want to see films that really have a plot,then go watch "Rambo" with Stalone.You will enjoy his acting. "Safe sex" represents the greek way of life. That's all.
Better watch TV...
micmic143196824 March 2003
I must have been the only Greek who hasn't watched this one on the big screen. It seems I knew better... Last week it was on TV. I must admit I wasn't expecting anything special, but I also didn't expect it to be so disappointing. There are some witty lines, but if we are given a couple of hours, me and my friends will come up with better jokes. No surprise however it was a huge success and got a decent Imdb score: The success springs from the majority, and it is the same majority who have made Greek TV such an idiot's sink.
brilliant
astafux4 February 2007
This is a hands down hilarious movie which only someone outside the Greek culture could find bad ... (see totally unfair comments from the other user). I wouldn't normally comment but seeing the ridiculous comments existing in this site, i had to bring some justice. Just see the number of people giving the highest marks! Maybe if you don't relate with modern Greek culture, then you won't appreciate the movie ... but if you do then you will become a fanatic fan! I don't have much to add, but i'm forced to have minimum 10 lines of comments. I don't understand why one should be forced to do so. It works against people spending the time and energy to give their opinion. So it hurts justice. So I will reiterate, it is a great movie, one of the funniest modern Greek movies, with an amazing mix of hilarious stories. Watch also Thiliki Eteria!
Much hyped crap
Angeneer7 March 2000
1,200,000 tickets in a country of 10,000,000 is an unbelievable and unprecedented record (in Greece the multiple viewing phenomenon is not widespread so the number of tickets represents an actual percentage of the population). Unfortunately, as in most highly commercial movies, it's not worth it. Gross humor, tasteless jokes, boring repetition of classic funny themes. It might be true that some stories are close to reality, but a film is mainly about the way you present situations, not the situations themselves. So why so much success? Because it's targeted to the TV audience. TV writers, TV actors, TV mentality. Even the production and the advertising were done by a major TV channel. Definitely not for me.
Even better than sex!
Owl-1424 December 1999
A movie that could really make a worldwide blockbuster if it is translated or subtitled. A really smart and intelligent use of the meaning of "safe sex". A must see for all Greeks, and an interesting point of view of the modern greek way of life. Even funnier than "Pedal Douce"
a really nice comedy
natkappa11 January 2005
its a nice comedy, with every day characters that successfully show -with the needed portion of humor of course- the modern portrait of the Greek sex life in the city. One can recognize in the stories given, a personal ¨adventure¨ or a story of a friend. And because Greek society is becoming more and more ¨westernised¨ i think that most of the viewers from all over the western world can find the truth inside and can laugh with the smart script. If you like comedies you will enjoy it and if you have a respectable sense of humor you will find it better than most of the US trash that lacks of imagination and real humor. Its a good option for a cool Sunday evening with friends.
It's a well-written, brilliant milestone of a comedy
gkatirtzis23 November 2020
This film is largely misunderstood. And there are several reasons why, as there are several reasons why nobody should hesitate to watch it.
Safe Sex is pretty famous for being the largest box office hit in the history of greek cinema when it was released, back in 1999. It came along with a sort of cultural revolution, in the sense that it popularised greek films with greek audiences, who did not wholly appreciate the style and art behind Theo Angelopoulos' work, perhaps the only Greek director highly regarded on an international level at the time (as of 2020, Lanthimos is doing impressively well himself). It was a huge hit with the audiences (for the wrong reasons, mind you, specifically the foul language and the sex - humour had something to do with it), but the critiques were relentlessly vitriolic. Safe Sex was accused of being badly written, TV-like and of poor taste. Out of those aspects, merely the TV one is valid - the rest claims were and still are merely a result of short sightedness, "puritanism" and a generally misdirected disdain towards mainstream comedy and a distorted sense of "culture". Also, Safe Sex started a brand of greek comedy that relied heavily on sex and neurotic characters - the movies and TV shows that followed it however did not by any means execute such well constructed character studies, neither did they embed tasteful humour. So Safe Sex itself shouldn't at all be maligned by its successors. This comedy is brilliant.
There is indeed a made-for-TV sense in the film, but honestly it is quite trivial and very subjective. I can understand why some people think it is too TV like, but I thought the directors' approach, the mise-en-scene, it was all very well done. Mainly, the shots are taken from a distance and there is an absence of close ups or any special attention to the characters. This may ring "television" to some viewers, personally it ringed "distance". There is a certain coldness to the approach, Safe Sex is not interested in having us immerse, but, instead, view the characters objectively, study them. It reminded a little bit of theatre, a sort of Brecht like distance (and, oh, aren't there similarities with Brecht's social satire). Let's say, Godard's Tout Va Bien, only this is a comedy, and not French New Wave-ish or a masterpiece - still, it is exceptional. Perhaps I'm giving too much credit to the creators but, hey, I'm here to evaluate the end result, not the intention.
As of the humour, it isn't exactly British, nor is it subtle. On the contrary, at times it's vulgar. But it is perfectly effective. It gets laughs from most people, very all encompassing. It is also a very brave picture, and it doesn't shy away from showing us homosexual attraction or intercourse. The gay couples are treated in precisely the same manner as the straight ones. That may sound as not such a big deal, but on the terms of the inappropriately conservative Greek society, it is.
Now, let's get to the REAL strengths of Safe Sex, that everyone seems to ignore. The writing. The writing is just - it's brilliant. I was in all honesty mind-blown, I didn't expect anything like this. The film is an ensemble, with typically intertwining storylines, as it was quite popular back in the 90's, with Magnolia being a prime example. The stories of each character intertwine wonderfully, until, you guessed it, they are all ultimately connected to one another. And the structure is crystal clear - the viewer is in a position to understand the plot. So, on that front, well executed.
And then the CHARACTER STUDIES. Brilliance. The trick behind its brilliance is that there is an underlying tragedy. Each and every character is tragic and impeccably so. Tragic, perhaps even unhappy, most of them. And it is played for laughs, as in every good comedy. The middle aged scorned woman who wastes her life away fantasising about her favourite soap opera character, the playboy who uses sex and women to fill the void of an empty heart, the closeted gay guy who's not in terms with himself and nor are his friends, the insecure woman who finds solace through having phone sex with a stranger (and then real sex - yes, Safe Sex did that before Valentine's Day), the well-to-do doctor who has an affair with the needy love-deprived sister of his controlling and overbearing wife, the 50-something neurotic "cultured" lady, tragically unable to reach an orgasm, the young woman who seeks validation in every other man, the depressed artist who's emotionally dependent on his pragmatist girlfriend, the sociologist writer who's actually.... Well I can't keep going like this, but it is a shocker, the ending. All the characters are impressively fleshed out. It is almost hard to believe, considering the size of the cast, but each and every character is fully incarnated up there on the screen. It's almost as if you've met all of them before. Real people with real problems, which, by the end of the film, are apparent to any careful viewer. In that sense, Safe Sex is in fact reminiscent of Woody Allen movies, with less style and different humour, but the writing is definitely there. I cannot understand the description of the characters as one dimensional - it is outrageous. Anyone who finds the writing one dimensional has clearly not been paying attention. And as if the pitch perfect characterisation wasn't enough, it is all to express a surprisingly existential message: sex defines human lives. The movies are obviously not on the same level, but the message reminds us of the central idea in Eyes Wide Shut. In Safe Sex, then, we get to see that all people ever think of is sex in reality, and all of our behaviour is determined by it. It even decides on life and death, and Safe Sex doesn't hesitate to get very, VERY morbid at times. Exceptionally Freudian is what I would call it. Both the prominence of sex in our lives and its connection to death.
I self-identify as a cinephile, and I adored this film. I thought it was terrific with regards to most, if not all aspects. I like to think I can (and should) appreciate everything of value, so whether it is Tarkovsky, Bergman, Woody, Hawkes - it doesn't matter. This film is definitely, definitely worth your time. Just watch it with an open, OBSERVANT mind, and you'll see its strengths. I highly recommend it.
Safe Sex is pretty famous for being the largest box office hit in the history of greek cinema when it was released, back in 1999. It came along with a sort of cultural revolution, in the sense that it popularised greek films with greek audiences, who did not wholly appreciate the style and art behind Theo Angelopoulos' work, perhaps the only Greek director highly regarded on an international level at the time (as of 2020, Lanthimos is doing impressively well himself). It was a huge hit with the audiences (for the wrong reasons, mind you, specifically the foul language and the sex - humour had something to do with it), but the critiques were relentlessly vitriolic. Safe Sex was accused of being badly written, TV-like and of poor taste. Out of those aspects, merely the TV one is valid - the rest claims were and still are merely a result of short sightedness, "puritanism" and a generally misdirected disdain towards mainstream comedy and a distorted sense of "culture". Also, Safe Sex started a brand of greek comedy that relied heavily on sex and neurotic characters - the movies and TV shows that followed it however did not by any means execute such well constructed character studies, neither did they embed tasteful humour. So Safe Sex itself shouldn't at all be maligned by its successors. This comedy is brilliant.
There is indeed a made-for-TV sense in the film, but honestly it is quite trivial and very subjective. I can understand why some people think it is too TV like, but I thought the directors' approach, the mise-en-scene, it was all very well done. Mainly, the shots are taken from a distance and there is an absence of close ups or any special attention to the characters. This may ring "television" to some viewers, personally it ringed "distance". There is a certain coldness to the approach, Safe Sex is not interested in having us immerse, but, instead, view the characters objectively, study them. It reminded a little bit of theatre, a sort of Brecht like distance (and, oh, aren't there similarities with Brecht's social satire). Let's say, Godard's Tout Va Bien, only this is a comedy, and not French New Wave-ish or a masterpiece - still, it is exceptional. Perhaps I'm giving too much credit to the creators but, hey, I'm here to evaluate the end result, not the intention.
As of the humour, it isn't exactly British, nor is it subtle. On the contrary, at times it's vulgar. But it is perfectly effective. It gets laughs from most people, very all encompassing. It is also a very brave picture, and it doesn't shy away from showing us homosexual attraction or intercourse. The gay couples are treated in precisely the same manner as the straight ones. That may sound as not such a big deal, but on the terms of the inappropriately conservative Greek society, it is.
Now, let's get to the REAL strengths of Safe Sex, that everyone seems to ignore. The writing. The writing is just - it's brilliant. I was in all honesty mind-blown, I didn't expect anything like this. The film is an ensemble, with typically intertwining storylines, as it was quite popular back in the 90's, with Magnolia being a prime example. The stories of each character intertwine wonderfully, until, you guessed it, they are all ultimately connected to one another. And the structure is crystal clear - the viewer is in a position to understand the plot. So, on that front, well executed.
And then the CHARACTER STUDIES. Brilliance. The trick behind its brilliance is that there is an underlying tragedy. Each and every character is tragic and impeccably so. Tragic, perhaps even unhappy, most of them. And it is played for laughs, as in every good comedy. The middle aged scorned woman who wastes her life away fantasising about her favourite soap opera character, the playboy who uses sex and women to fill the void of an empty heart, the closeted gay guy who's not in terms with himself and nor are his friends, the insecure woman who finds solace through having phone sex with a stranger (and then real sex - yes, Safe Sex did that before Valentine's Day), the well-to-do doctor who has an affair with the needy love-deprived sister of his controlling and overbearing wife, the 50-something neurotic "cultured" lady, tragically unable to reach an orgasm, the young woman who seeks validation in every other man, the depressed artist who's emotionally dependent on his pragmatist girlfriend, the sociologist writer who's actually.... Well I can't keep going like this, but it is a shocker, the ending. All the characters are impressively fleshed out. It is almost hard to believe, considering the size of the cast, but each and every character is fully incarnated up there on the screen. It's almost as if you've met all of them before. Real people with real problems, which, by the end of the film, are apparent to any careful viewer. In that sense, Safe Sex is in fact reminiscent of Woody Allen movies, with less style and different humour, but the writing is definitely there. I cannot understand the description of the characters as one dimensional - it is outrageous. Anyone who finds the writing one dimensional has clearly not been paying attention. And as if the pitch perfect characterisation wasn't enough, it is all to express a surprisingly existential message: sex defines human lives. The movies are obviously not on the same level, but the message reminds us of the central idea in Eyes Wide Shut. In Safe Sex, then, we get to see that all people ever think of is sex in reality, and all of our behaviour is determined by it. It even decides on life and death, and Safe Sex doesn't hesitate to get very, VERY morbid at times. Exceptionally Freudian is what I would call it. Both the prominence of sex in our lives and its connection to death.
I self-identify as a cinephile, and I adored this film. I thought it was terrific with regards to most, if not all aspects. I like to think I can (and should) appreciate everything of value, so whether it is Tarkovsky, Bergman, Woody, Hawkes - it doesn't matter. This film is definitely, definitely worth your time. Just watch it with an open, OBSERVANT mind, and you'll see its strengths. I highly recommend it.
Is this a movie? Come on! Mercy!
funkybomber5 January 2003
I would give this "movie" a minus if I could. 1)It has no plot and there is no excuse for that. 2)It was NOT funny at all. I wonder how many people saw this crap 3 or 4 times in cinema. Don't they even respect their money? 3)I can't value Safe Sex more than I would value Scary Movie 2 or Road Trip. All those represent the worst face of today's commercial cinema. I'm very bothered by the fact that Greek script writers and directors have adopted the trashy Hollywoodish comedy style (plenty toilet humor, if any). I believe that these men have talent but Safe Sex is suggesting just the opposite. 4)If you want to see "how people see relations & sex in modern Greece" just try to find a movie with Gousgounis. It's the worst I can recommend but it's still far better than the Safe Sex "masterpiece". Keep trying people! Be original!
One of the most funny movies I've ever seen
oalchemistis3 May 2017
This movie is fantastic. When it was first released in 1999 it was something unique and 8 million tickets (80% of the global population) is a number you won't find in any other movie. There are different stories of people connected together in a very clever way. The review is totally unfair, I think it deserves at least 9/10. Also the message about safe sex was pretty valuable to the society.
Garbage
timefreezer724 May 2001
I believe that the 2 creators (famous and successful TV writers ) made a personal bet . " Lets make a really BAD film . We will simply cast 20 plus famous TV actors . We will put in 6 or more of the most contrived stories on film history . We will feed it with jokes older than the dinosaurs and more hackneyed than "why did the chicken cross the road" . We will pitch it in the levels of trash with endless and pointless swearing . We will find a small and commercial title and then we will simply sit back and watch the entire country queue to pay a ticket for watching it "
BRAVO !!! they managed to succeed in their purpose . 1.2 million tickets in a country of 10 million people is an ACHIEVEMENT . I do not think it is bold to say that if the film was just a PINCH (of salt) better it would have made 2 millions . As it is it simply can make a man puke with the complete fraud and the brain washing it was made by the marketing system . A really insignificant and unoriginal "comedy" that noone , NOONE would bother to see if it wasn 't for the all star cast . Most of the actors were personal friends of the writers and probably accepted to play for that reason , not to mention that the roles were small. The film is not exactly bad but it is hopelessly MEDIOCRE , MEDIOCRE , MEDIOCRE . Before I say anything else I would like to point out that the sewing up of the 7-8 stories was done very nicely . But this was done in the detriment of the film . There is utter unoriginality . For example the boss sexually harasses his cute secretary. She initially resists knowing that every week he changes a girlfriend . When though he starts crying and giving oaths that he loves her she falls like a tower of cards and they screw on the office . After a week he dumbs her and she is heartboken ! A 10 year - old can write this in 15 minutes or less . Their excuse was that the unoriginality was that it was intentional in order to have a good slice of the reality . OK people .We DO know that these stories happen in real life in precisely THAT way . But HAVE MERCY !!!! A person who is paying 2000 drachmas to see a film always wants something different . Not necessarily an original story but a different / original HANDLING of a story . The jokes simply DONT WORK except for a couple of times . SAFE SEX fails as a comedy as well as a social satire as it intended to be. Even worse for the film is the swearing . Oh my God ! WHY ? WHY ? I am not conservative but here it is useless , out of time , irritating , VERY CHEAP and trashes the film to a toilet farse . The only exception is in the scenes where the client of sex -phones masturbates . The bad language here is natural , functional and (why not ?) funny . Pavlos Haikalis is excellent and delivers those difficult scenes uniquely .
But the worse crime of the movie is that it finally falls flat . Being bored from a typical movie is bad enough . But being bored from the repetiveness of a film with 8 sublots , 30 characters not to mention the 20 cameos from equally known actors ) is UNFORGIVABLE . The same things happen again and again to fill the screen time and you can 't wait for the film to end .
Anyway I will have to admit that all the actors are great and really do their best , especially P. Haikalis as Kostas and Anna Panagiotopoulou as the hysterical and jealous Rena . Overall SS is a huge disappointment . If you want to watch a successful satire on sex watch " Poisonous Women " ( Gynaikes Dhlhthrio ) by Nick Zervos which is funny and caustic . Many times I believe that SS is a bad rip - off of that movie For the good acting at least I will give this turkey 5 / 10
BRAVO !!! they managed to succeed in their purpose . 1.2 million tickets in a country of 10 million people is an ACHIEVEMENT . I do not think it is bold to say that if the film was just a PINCH (of salt) better it would have made 2 millions . As it is it simply can make a man puke with the complete fraud and the brain washing it was made by the marketing system . A really insignificant and unoriginal "comedy" that noone , NOONE would bother to see if it wasn 't for the all star cast . Most of the actors were personal friends of the writers and probably accepted to play for that reason , not to mention that the roles were small. The film is not exactly bad but it is hopelessly MEDIOCRE , MEDIOCRE , MEDIOCRE . Before I say anything else I would like to point out that the sewing up of the 7-8 stories was done very nicely . But this was done in the detriment of the film . There is utter unoriginality . For example the boss sexually harasses his cute secretary. She initially resists knowing that every week he changes a girlfriend . When though he starts crying and giving oaths that he loves her she falls like a tower of cards and they screw on the office . After a week he dumbs her and she is heartboken ! A 10 year - old can write this in 15 minutes or less . Their excuse was that the unoriginality was that it was intentional in order to have a good slice of the reality . OK people .We DO know that these stories happen in real life in precisely THAT way . But HAVE MERCY !!!! A person who is paying 2000 drachmas to see a film always wants something different . Not necessarily an original story but a different / original HANDLING of a story . The jokes simply DONT WORK except for a couple of times . SAFE SEX fails as a comedy as well as a social satire as it intended to be. Even worse for the film is the swearing . Oh my God ! WHY ? WHY ? I am not conservative but here it is useless , out of time , irritating , VERY CHEAP and trashes the film to a toilet farse . The only exception is in the scenes where the client of sex -phones masturbates . The bad language here is natural , functional and (why not ?) funny . Pavlos Haikalis is excellent and delivers those difficult scenes uniquely .
But the worse crime of the movie is that it finally falls flat . Being bored from a typical movie is bad enough . But being bored from the repetiveness of a film with 8 sublots , 30 characters not to mention the 20 cameos from equally known actors ) is UNFORGIVABLE . The same things happen again and again to fill the screen time and you can 't wait for the film to end .
Anyway I will have to admit that all the actors are great and really do their best , especially P. Haikalis as Kostas and Anna Panagiotopoulou as the hysterical and jealous Rena . Overall SS is a huge disappointment . If you want to watch a successful satire on sex watch " Poisonous Women " ( Gynaikes Dhlhthrio ) by Nick Zervos which is funny and caustic . Many times I believe that SS is a bad rip - off of that movie For the good acting at least I will give this turkey 5 / 10
What happened to the script?
makis-222 February 2000
Safe sex in cold facts: 1st on the Greek Box office with 1000000 tickets. The most commercial greek movie in the history of greek cinematography. Countless well known greek actors in the cast. Two of the most popular tv directors. In greece this film had a massive hype which can only be compared to the hype of titanic!
Safe sex my view: First of all i would like to say before i write my view that i am a big fan of the cinema,i have stopped watching commercial movies a long time ago.I have attended many Movie festivals and the last one was a "Kenzi Mizoguchi" festival in greece which was truly superb.Then why did i watch the movie? My friends aren't like me they don't watch a movie that's not a blockbaster they are totally tasteless so we have like an unsaid agreement i watch movies they like,they watch movies i like. So it was their turn to choose and they chose "Safe Sex"... the weird thing was that i really wanted to see this movie cause i heard like many good comments of people who i trust. So we went out and barely found a ticket and bought some pop&corn and stuff and started watching the movie... I must say that i was at first impressed by the countless actors that apeared before me,later on i thought "Why do these people laugh?" this "comedy" had no good jokes but only COUNTLESS bad jokes when i say countless i mean that i doubt even if 20 seconds passed by without another tasteless joke was said.So i was wondering why didn't i laugh and i turned and saw my friends...."George" who's favorite movie is "Fame" laughed all the time (I wasn't suprised) "Tina" the only friend who has watched almost as many movies as i have seemed sceptical and then there was the Half movie Break,we spoke of what we thought firstly george said that it was possibly the best movie he has watched this year,than i said it was possibly the only movie i have seen that had no script,and then tina agreed with me and added that she hasn't seen worst jokes on a movie in her whole life! Our views wasn't changed until the end because nothing really changed. What i thought after watching the movie? It's a pity that good greek movies don't get more than a total of 1/10 the tickets this movie got! This movie doesn't mark a new age of good movies in greece but a new age of countless tasteless commercial movies in greece!
Safe sex my view: First of all i would like to say before i write my view that i am a big fan of the cinema,i have stopped watching commercial movies a long time ago.I have attended many Movie festivals and the last one was a "Kenzi Mizoguchi" festival in greece which was truly superb.Then why did i watch the movie? My friends aren't like me they don't watch a movie that's not a blockbaster they are totally tasteless so we have like an unsaid agreement i watch movies they like,they watch movies i like. So it was their turn to choose and they chose "Safe Sex"... the weird thing was that i really wanted to see this movie cause i heard like many good comments of people who i trust. So we went out and barely found a ticket and bought some pop&corn and stuff and started watching the movie... I must say that i was at first impressed by the countless actors that apeared before me,later on i thought "Why do these people laugh?" this "comedy" had no good jokes but only COUNTLESS bad jokes when i say countless i mean that i doubt even if 20 seconds passed by without another tasteless joke was said.So i was wondering why didn't i laugh and i turned and saw my friends...."George" who's favorite movie is "Fame" laughed all the time (I wasn't suprised) "Tina" the only friend who has watched almost as many movies as i have seemed sceptical and then there was the Half movie Break,we spoke of what we thought firstly george said that it was possibly the best movie he has watched this year,than i said it was possibly the only movie i have seen that had no script,and then tina agreed with me and added that she hasn't seen worst jokes on a movie in her whole life! Our views wasn't changed until the end because nothing really changed. What i thought after watching the movie? It's a pity that good greek movies don't get more than a total of 1/10 the tickets this movie got! This movie doesn't mark a new age of good movies in greece but a new age of countless tasteless commercial movies in greece!
Great movie, presents with humor the craziness of the modern sex life
dimitris2327 March 2008
Any human being with critical thinking can understand that the previous comment was not mirroring reality; It was a too harsh critic for a distinguished movie which caused 1.2 million Greeks to flood the cinemas in order to watch it. This movie must have had something to say, right? Anyway, I think Safe Sex included many nice features from many aspects. It is an easy-to-watch film with a quick plot, a parade of acknowledged Greek actors, and above all it prompts the viewer first to laugh and then to think.
I hope the movie will be available in the future with English subtitles, so that the non-Greek speakers would also be able to benefit by the beauty of this film
I hope the movie will be available in the future with English subtitles, so that the non-Greek speakers would also be able to benefit by the beauty of this film
Disgraceful!
Reznor_gr15 March 2002
The only thing that could be said about this movie is that it should have been released only on video tape. It is full of cheap humor, stupid sexual jokes and without any cinematographic value. There are many really good Greek films that have been forgotten and it is a pity that there has been so much publicity given to this one instead.
Bad Sex
Marino-825 May 2000
Take a really smart script idea(Robert Altman's Shortcuts) and pass it as an original one to the unsuspected audience, add a 75% of the country's well known TV actors and use a script that is full of tasteless toilet jokes and you can have the biggest box-office success in Greek history! Safe Sex can may be described as "safe entertainment" for the wide audience. But for someone asking for more, safe sex has nothing to offer, it's like bad unsafe sex with someone that you really hate.
Toilet humor
geoyall14 August 2000
Indeed "safe sex" was the biggest hit in the history of Greek movies.I've heard a lot of people who went to see it again and again...and after I saw the movie I asked myself why???? I don't believe that by swearing or by making insulting pervert jokes a movie can be made funny.I am not old fashioned and I am not against swearing.I've seen many movies with even more swearing than "safe sex", but the difference is that in these movies people didn't swear for no reason at all.There was some serious background to it.Check out Kevin Smith's movies for instance, or southpark the movie.
Furthermore, the directors (which have created some really clever t.v. shows in the past) tried to fit eight different stories and almost every actor in Greece(there were almost forty of them) in a single movie.It didn't work out, so they forced the stories to merge.The result was a terrible cocktail.It seemed to me that they were more interested in casting all the actors they had in mind than making a solid story.
As for criticism, well this movie was supposed to comment on contemporary relationships and their problems.Well it did not.
To conclude, "safe sex" is the definition of a bad film.Profitable? Yes.Funny? No.Absolutely tasteless.
Furthermore, the directors (which have created some really clever t.v. shows in the past) tried to fit eight different stories and almost every actor in Greece(there were almost forty of them) in a single movie.It didn't work out, so they forced the stories to merge.The result was a terrible cocktail.It seemed to me that they were more interested in casting all the actors they had in mind than making a solid story.
As for criticism, well this movie was supposed to comment on contemporary relationships and their problems.Well it did not.
To conclude, "safe sex" is the definition of a bad film.Profitable? Yes.Funny? No.Absolutely tasteless.
A movie that just doesn't deliver
eros_man_gr26 September 2011
I was disappointed to watch this movie, it having been so highly recommended online. The fact is that the title itself is misleading, because you anticipate interesting sexual escapades and people dealing with kinks. In fact, it is just a haphazard collection of stories from boring people who are either trying to get laid or think sex is dirty. There is no particular drama or comedy in it and hardly any nudity (which would be appropriate for this topic). For those who want a more hard-hitting Greek movie about sex, I recommend "Hardcore" (2004), and for those who want a really moving Greek film with interesting characters, I recommend "Politiki Kouzina" (2003).
the sexual life in Greece at the millennium change
varkaris8 January 2000
Greek cinematography passed through many troubles before approaching the modern era of comedies.Spyros Papadopoulos in the role of a company director brings the concept of sexual abuse on secretaries.Anna Panayiotopoulou portraits the jealous wife chasing her husband,a doctor.Pavlos Haikalis plays the hungry-for-telephone-sex guy. Many laughter moments can be created by a pleiad of actors.It's all about sex: homosexual scenes that try to disgust or entertain the viewer,watching Koulianou in a soap opera,a professor analyses the love of Aretousa for Erotokritos and the company director sends emails for seduction.Exchange of spouses, eye closing,sexual lust and a lot of hardly interrelated events constructing a mosaic of the sexual life in contemporary Athens.Papathanasiou and Reppas as directors try to build a comedy based heavily on script manipulation and fast change of dialogues.The result is an amusing movie.
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