Testosteroni (2004) User Reviews

A sensual nightmare

[capamaroux-1 · 6/10 · 3 May 2007]

This misunderstood film features a young able seaman stranded on an island, apparently inhabited only by women. They sexually attack him, and what starts to be a paradise for the hero, gradually becomes hell. The movie was criticized as a bad sex comedy by most critics and audience, but a silly sex comedy it is not. It's a dark, surreal exploration into the primal fear of man for women, just like it happened in Fellini's City of Women. It's notable that director Panousopoulos (who has directed several good taste sex comedies, like 'M' agapas?', and NOT 'Loufa kai parallagi' as i read in another comment) uses a thriller-style direction to hint that fear through the hero's emotions. In the film, there are a lot of spicy, hot scenes, an example of the director's ability on that kind of stuff, but the climax is rather disappointing. Overall a good, clever film that deserved more recognition. Maybe in 20 years or something...

Young, Greek sailor gets stranded on his home island only to find that it has changed since the last time he visited

[pavcrow · 6/10 · 30 November 2006]

This film is a fine attempt to explore the psychic of a soldier who has not been with a girl for a long time. For all we know our "hero" may have never been with a girl altogether, but of that i can only speculate. The film delves into a story which begins with a simple premise and then extrapolates itself into an exaggeretion of male sexual fantasy which verges on the schizophrenic. Testosteroni (Greek for the obvious testosterone), we are told, is the driving force behind our "hero's" actions and perceptions. Empirically testosterone is not good counsel and it is suggested that it obscures judgement to the point of paranoia. The direction of the film is... sufficient to get the point across. The director utilises the Greek colours, often symbolising purity and cleanliness, the sea and the isolation of the island to contrast our hero's condition. I found that the film has not broken any taboos. Greek films, many a time, have touched upon similar subjects, maybe not as their central themes but more like side themes, and have conveyed pretty much the same messages. This films goes one step further. It pushes its theme over the line. But is that necessary? It might be... Maybe the fact that the film is more revealing than other Greek films and maybe that the central character is not an ordinary full blooded Greek soldier (just like the ones we are used to) does make a difference...

It wasn't bad at all, at least a 6

[Asteris_a · 6/10 · 17 May 2006]

I found it very entertaining and at the same time it made a point... OK, I've seen better films, but I think this movie serves it's purpose!

The truth is that, although I've heard only one or two women's opinions about the film, I don't think that they were very excited 'bout it...and so one could say it is a "guy" film, -or sth like that, you're beginning to get the picture I hope-, but in the end no one can really tell. Well, it surely is a starter for conversations over man-woman world and sexuality.

One last thing.It takes more than nudity and sex to make a film porn and although in Greek cinema I can notice a sort of "fetish" with nudity at some point, I don't think that this film abuses the nude scenes.It only has some sensuality...(for example I don't think "Baise Moi" is really porn and it actually has some explicit scenes!!!)

Absolutely Awful

[trelopaida · 1/10 · 4 July 2005]

I saw the whole movie. Am Greek and this is a very recent film. I thought it could be good. After the first 15 minutes the film was like this : Every time the main character(a man) meets a woman , the woman attacks to him sexually and... The film was repeating itself, every scene was the same ... One of the actresses is very famous in Greek, and i like her in the "hot" scenes .. but come on... is this art ? Am really sorry that the director - whose film Loufa and Parallagy I can watch 100 times per day- made this movie. No story .. if in the same scenes the actors were more nude.. it would be porn. I am very open-minded... it reminded me of another movie Lucia y el Sexo, especially the scene in the water (blue sea and sex) but i cant really understand what was the purpose of this movie. Am really sorry for my bad critic, am not an expert. This is my personal opinion.

Pretty good movie

[foodwriter67 · 7/10 · 14 March 2006]

The movie is set up as a metaphor. If you take it literally, you might get upset or even offended.

The vision of being the only male on an island with numerous women, several of them exceptionally beautiful, sounds appealing. But it's like any situation where you may regret what you wish for if it comes in extremes.

While the concept is a bit extreme, the movie is well-acted. None of the females overact, a temptation given the plot. The male lead does a good job.

While I see many foreign movies, I confess I haven't seen that many Greek movies. Given the sensibility of this film, and the way it was presented, I may watch more Greek films.

Nothing is as it seems. (Especially when serving for 40 days)

[Antonist84 · 7/10 · 20 February 2007]

This was quite a good movie for me. Despite the frequent recurrence of sexual scenes the plot was overall well-planned, as the central hero lands on an island where nothing is as it seems. Starting the movie we are put in the middle of a talk between two soldiers and slowly the director reveals what the film is about. Petros' arrival on the island kicks off a series of sexually related, seemingly unreasonable events. The answer to all the irrationality is given by the doctor, making the movie centralize on the sexually deprived soldiers and the effect their long enclosure in camps can have on their lives. Although it could do with a much better resolution at the end which, for me, seemed a bit rushed. And, as Vaso said, 'That's what boats do; leave'. So remember, there's always another boat