Suntan (2016)

An unhappy middle-aged doctor is posted to a Greek island where he meets a hedonistic group of young people, one of which, a beautiful, liberated girl, he falls for.This is the kind of film that puritanical, emotionally stunted Hollywood - and probably even the rest of increasingly Islamified Western Europe - is not capable of making nowadays. It's a searingly human drama about unrequited love, the consequences of ageing, and the depths to which a human can sink when failure and rejection become commonplace. It's brave, bold and beautiful.Casually erotic (the actress who plays the frequently nude Anna could be described as cinematic Viagra), superbly acted by the lead (his character has to plummet to depths that are excruciating to watch) and unnervingly accurate in whatever scene it turns its eye to, it dares to tell a story that is as dark as we all are beneath our exteriors. And it triumphs.The outraged person who gives this film 1/10 on this site hilariously appears not to have even seen it as they get a major plot point completely wrong.

First, sorry for my poor English.This is one of the most… real movies I have ever seen, the acting is awesome, it's so good that I don't know if the actors are not just ordinary guys and girls been themselves.They say the perfection is achieved not when there is nothing left to add but when there is nothing else to remove, and I think this movie is all about that, straight and honest like life, nothing redundant. The one thing that can be improved is the soundtrack, something more like Chambao would be great but overall good job even on this matter.If you ever been in love and ever been heartbroken… if you ever been alive you'll love that movie, really love it, you'll hate it and love it at the same time.

A film of vibrant innerness. A contemporary tragedy based on a "hero" straggling with his destiny and himself, but sadly, with a missing (in our modern times) Deus ex machina, a god that now, can only be partially restored by humane instinct. Yet, that very fact, might as well be considered being the film's ultimate message of hope.I admit that I prefer to stick to "male" rather than "female" views of the scenario, if such a distinction exists, since I only have a pair of "male" eyes.This is a story of a volcanic explosion of unfulfilled needs, prevailed by perhaps, the first and foremost one of spiritual nature: "Eros" (meaning in ancient Greek: being in love). Needs of a life, devoted to a noble and demanding cause (serving as a doctor), but apparently, hardly receiving any significant material or sentimental payback. Needs, suppressed throughout the years, probably underneath layers of patience, constraints, expectations and surrounding social indifference. Eventually, needs of a heart, permanently besieged by loneliness. In the middle of such an inner world of unstable equilibrium, "Life" itself, boosted by the Aegean sunlight and erotic environment, explodes in apocalyptic glorious reflections of bold nudity, lust, joy, freedom to the extent of Bacchanalian orgy and sometimes rowdiness. An explosion that tantalizes the ethical boundaries that hold this world together, as it triggers its pursue for love, happiness and reward.The main character, Kostis, a doctor, disembarks in a world where he is expected to lead a flat, low expectations life of serving the poor local people in almost exile conditions (especially in winter). Half a year later, summertime (both actually and metaphorically) promiscuously brakes through his door in the form of Anna, a young liberated woman, determined to drink life bottoms up, along with her company, people of similar attitude. Anna, unaware of the significance of her impact in Kostis' life, lures him carelessly into summertime delights including herself and so, the doctor after surrendering to the temptation, inevitably falls in love with her and dives eagerly, albeit defenseless in the deep waters of this experience.In the meantime, he is already under pressure from an increasing feeling of inadequacy, as he has already met, firstly, a womanizer and then an old classmate, now a plastic surgeon, successful in their own ways in Kostis' eyes. These are people, he could have been similarly as successful as, since he is almost the same age as them and of more or equal skills and potential.Inexperienced in handling the psychological implications of his close intimate encounter with Anna, who seems to provide an ideal way out of his misery, the troubled hero is drawn into a schizophrenic approach of the situation, as she, initially ignores and later reacts gradually with astonishment, indifference and repulsion to his passion and clumsy efforts to persuade her into a long term relationship. The more his desperation and failure grow, the more he tries to bend reality to his needs and violent and intrusive, becomes.In the meantime, starting from the days of seeking Anna's companion and as the situation grows darker and obsessive in his mind, Kostis slips into a more and more unprofessional and cynical attitude regarding his medical duties towards the local community, which in turn traverses the line from embracement to discontent, anger and finally, to his official expulsion.Eventually, Kostis, submitting to his passion and determined to quench his thirst, finds his way to make his love object available to his yearning, though without consent. And then, exactly at the point of catastrophe beyond remedy, sense arises from the depths of his turbid mind to take him aback with an instant realization of the vanity of his cul-de-sac actions. Actions that instead of relief, lead everybody involved, to an increasingly painful and descending spiral.Yet, no gods exist in our time to put things back in place and provide atonement. The "hero", an actually deeply sensitive human, is left alone in his desperation, stemming out of his inability to "possess" the woman he has fallen for, care for her and provide her with his love. Instead of all of the above, he unwillingly reverts back to the only limited practice and care he is allowed to exercise upon her, medical care, admitting, at the same time (as his crying implies), his defeat.A lively cinematography with constant and absorbing pace all the way to the film credits. Vivid depiction of the Central Aegean summertime mood and environment. Sequences, completely successful in providing insight to characters and situations and getting feelings across. Authentically crafted and acted characters and behaviors. Credible representation of aspects of life in a typical Central Aegean Greek island, both during winter and summer. A web of events and encounters, thoughtfully selected and woven towards the final climax. Occasionally, easy but not-trivial pictorial symbolism. Presentation of inner and outer tension and unease in carefully measured doses. Directness without unnecessary exaggeration. Above all, from a watcher's point of view, a feeling of familiarity with a lot of the situations unfolding before his eyes, empathy for either or both of the two main characters, depending on his/her past experiences and their aftermath.Certainly, a film to live with and discuss for days to come, after its watching.

I saw this movie at its premiere, at Rotterdam International Film Festival 2016. The plot is a really simple story of a disappointed 40-something year old man, Kostis (Makis Papadimitriou, "Chevalier"), who, while working as a doctor in Antiparos island, falls passionately in love with a young Anna (Elli Trigkou). The movie is set in the beautiful, yet crazy scenery of Antiparos, and it portrays its atmosphere and hedonistic frenzy in a vivid and realistic way. The drunkenness of summer and the liberal power of youth, as captured by the lens of Argyris Papadimitropoulos ("Wasted Youth"), are constantly being collated with the awkward phase of the middle aged body and the protagonist's useless struggle of overlooking it. The photography and visuals of the movie are stunning. Each frame is carefully set in a way that the characters inner selves are revealed through nature. The documentary-like feel of some of them serves as a catalyst in enclosing the atmosphere of the place through the unfolding of the plot. The body, and the ways we perceive it are also part of the plot, so be prepared for a lot of nudism and strong language. Makis Papadimitriou seems to be the best choice of portraying the disappointed, dissatisfied man who falls victim of his own passions. His performance is excellent, realistic and never over the top. Elli Trigkou is also convincing as Anna, and the rest of the cast seems to be carefully chosen. All in all, this movie is the vivid and painful hymn of the coming of middle age. A must see.