Spirtokouto

One of the greater films ever made in Greece.

A "hardcore snapshot" of Greek reality given by excellent performance from the actors.

The raw truth about the roles inside a typical family in modern Greece filmed by a unique way from Giannis Oikonomidis Dimitris,Maria,Kiki,Giorgos,Vagelis and Loukas could be our father, our mother our sister, brother or friend, our neighbour, or the the owner of the store at the corner, who always fighting with his family for no reason. And at the end everybody is happy and they continue there lives like there's nothing happened.

I became interested in watching Spirtokouto after reading an interview with Yiannis Economidis. I was intrigued by his views on realism and on how films should, among other things, pull no punches when depicting the painfulness of dysfunctional families. In that respect, Spirtokouto is very much on the mark. However, I found the movie started grating on my nerves after about 30 minutes. As it progressed I felt like switching off my DVD, but I finally decided to give Economidis the benefit of the doubt. The movie does have some positive elements. Erricos Litsis (Dimitris) and Eleni Kokkidou (Maria) give very compelling performances and have all the venom you'd expect to see in a middle-aged couple trapped in their marriage. But, unfortunately, after a certain point the shouting and insults start appearing gratuitous. When the movie ended I heaved a sigh of relief, glad that it was over. Spirtokouto is not a good example of modern Greek cinema, despite the fact that Economids is capable of better things.

What can anyone say about this film? So claustrophobic and raw, that in the end, it isn't for anyone. Whilst some people see only green trees and white clouds, somewhere else, inside small houses and not so small famillies, the butchery continues. It needs not to be physical. The hateful stares, the each other's ignorance, the disorientation, the false priorities, the drowning in a a small teaspoon of water are an everyday . Under the heat of the greek summer, are you ready to see through the keyhole?

Spirtokouto is a really unique film, and takes guts and a great deal of patience to follow. The name, meaning matchbox, is probably meant to suggest the extreme temper of the head character. He actually reminds me a lot of my own father, so I believe the screenplay is fairly realistic. I think this movie is a really good try by the Greek director Giannis Ekonomidis, and it's a really interesting and different one. Everything's promising about it. Not exactly perfect, nothing like the masterpiece "Apo Tin Akri Tis Polis" which I think is the best Greek movie ever; but still pretty good and definitely watchable. I'm looking forward to seeing other movies featuring the cast and the director. Recommended! 7/10

When this movie came out, it polarized audiences due to the heavy and continuous use of vulgar cussing. It was so over the top, that many, even today consider it to be a comedy-an absurd one at that- and you know what? It does come off as one to an extent.

However, if you take the time to look deeper and try to understand the connection with the average modern Greek decadent suburban family, you will discover another layer of filmmaking, full of realism and raw motion. The characters may feel over the top but I believe it was done on purpose, to convey how horrific every-day life for some people can be. From the father and the mother down to their kids, a feeling of pure social decay permeates.

It's this duality that makes the film interesting in my eyes. It doesn't shove its message in your face but it's there for you to discover if you want to take the time. If you just want to spend some time watching excessive cussing and laughing at all the ludicrous situations that unfold, then you're perfectly welcome to do that. The 18 year old me sure did!

The cynical mid-thirties me is lifting the veil of crude comedy to look what's beneath, whenever I stumble on this film in TV.