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Reviews
After Porn Ends (2012)
Anti-porn propaganda posing as documentary
This is a laughable attempt at a documentary covering life after the porn business. You have only to look at the list of actors featured to realise that very little room is given to those who were okay with the porn business, and lots of room was given to those who hated it. Nina Hartley, who should have been the centre of this documentary, hardly gets a word in, while the anti-porn crusaders Shelley Lubben and Crissy Moran together cover approximately a third of this "documentary". Of course, their lives were ruined long before porn, but that is basically passed over here, and all the attention is given to how they suffered while making porn, or after they were done with it.
Religion is heavily featured here, and presented as the saviour. Even Asia Carrera, who did not complain about her time, and who is an atheist, still decided to live in Mormon Country, but it was not religion who helped her when her husband died and she had a ton of bills to pay; it was her porn fans.
The person basically telling the story here, narrating the documentary, is Luke Ford, who made his living for many years writing for gossip columns and making up stories for a living. He was sued more than most tabloid journalists of his age, and yet, he is the storyteller granted the most time in this documentary, even though he has no connections whatsoever with the adult industry. For that reason alone, this "documentary" should be disqualified from that genre.
I Love Karditsa (2010)
Mediocre Greek comedy
This is the Greek equivalent of a bad, predictable Hollywood comedy, but its importance should not be exaggerated. It's true that it contains ham acting from beginning to end, the story is muddled at best, and there are no real moments for laughing out loud. Nevertheless, if you are interested in Greek cinema, and just want to pass some time, you can still watch it. Just don't expect belly laughs or a desire to share it with your friends.
It's in essence just the story of a small town "get rich quick"-kind of guy who finds himself in the middle of some wild schemes involving the maffia, a beautiful, but manipulative stranger, and his doppelganger. It manages to be ludicrous, but without the proper structure of french farce. If you're looking for a Greek comedy that is genuinely amusing, I suggest "Nisos".
Attenberg (2010)
Odd piece of melancholia
This film has two great flaws: lack of a central plot and dispassionate characters (not performances). The protagonist of Marina is not only asexual, she is completely unemotional, even around her father and her supposed best (and only) friend. There is neither joy nor tragedy, only complete indifference to everything that happens. Occasionally you get an interesting remark about how Greece skipped modernity, but that is not really enough to make it interesting or thoughtful. Even during her sex scene, Marina keeps talking trivia non-stop during the first half, then is quiet as a mouse during the second half. I have never met or even seen people this deprived of emotion, so I cannot relate in any meaningful way to it.
In short, this is the kind of film that most people will get bored with quickly, then get told by somebody else why they are supposed to like it. Symbolism really only works when it is sufficiently obvious to all. In my opinion, this should never have been nominated for any awards, much less won them. If you know somebody that stares blankly with no emotion when he/she is with friends, having sex, and when their father dies, then maybe you can relate to this film more than I did. If you don't, well, there are much better Greek films out there.
Straight Story (2006)
Alternative Reality Comedy
Several people who reviewed this film failed to grasp what genre it was. It is an alternative reality comedy, like "The Invention of Lying", that attempts to make a point by reversing the "normal" situation. In the world of the film, gay people are the norm, and heterosexual people are considered perverts and cannot marry. It's a fun concept, although the story is fairly predictable, once it gets going. If you just want to see a Greek comedy that also has a message, then this will do just fine. If you crave superior quality, though, then this film is not for you. The acting is a bit cheesy, but it is really the kind of movie where a sincere portrayal would actually ruin it, because then it would seem like it was meant to be a serious film. It's not great, it's not terrible, but it'll do.
Safe Sex (1999)
A movie that just doesn't deliver
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).