Customer Reviews

High Season [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This film is a funny and wonderful look at life, tourism and love. Seaside Greece is photographed in all its splendor and no doubt will have you looking at travel brochures the day after watching this delightful film. A fine cast works magic as they interact in a place where inhibitions fall away like water over a cliff.

Jacqueline Bisset is terrific as the photographer of the coffee table book, "The Light of Greece," which isn't selling well enough to keep she and her daughter Chloe (Ruby Baker) afloat. A pot she was given as a gift by long time friend Patrick (James Fox) may help cure all her financial troubles, but then again, it may not. The affable Patrick has some secrets that are only revealed when Rick (a young Kenneth Branagh) and his sweet and long-suffering wife Carol (Lesley Manville) come to this little Greek tourist spot.

This film is filled with humor and joy and has a really special mood of Greek music and sensual beauty. Irene Papas gives a very funny performance as Penelope. She talks of her dead husband as though he were a hero during the war but he actually fell off a cliff while dancing! Penelope hates tourists and steals nail polish from all the women who come there. Her hilarious hatred of the tourists brings her into conflict with her son Yani (Paris Tselios), who not only wants to make a buck off them, but wants to put up a statue called "The Unknown Tourist!"

The statue is sculpted by Katherine's estranged husband who she amiably argues with throughout the film. There are some very funny moments in this film, including a scene when Yani's mother, Penelope, dressed like Pancho Villa, "raids" the unveiling of the statue. Even the serious moments about spies are handled with warmth and humor in this very unique film.

This film is easy to watch and makes you want to live life to the fullest. Some of the scenery will take your breath away and Bisset is marvelous as is everyone else. Director Clare Peploe has crafted something to be proud of here. This is a little known film I ran across by accident a few years ago, and what a happy accident it was. The shots of Bisset and Branagh on a beautiful midnight swim are gorgeous, as is Bisset. The perfect film for a weekend when you are wishing you could just get away from it all.

If you have been to the Greek islands, see this movie to remember. If you have never visited Greece, see this movie and pack your bags. Freedom and richness of life, gentle olive-scented breezes, long sunrises and slow sunsets prolong twilight, easy flowing clothes of deep rich colors for both sexes -- don't look for polyester or packaged bread.

A beautiful escape for those who have a of love beauty in life poetry, music, landscape, art, love and history. It is fantasy but on the scale of Shakespeare. Go away those you have a modernly crippled sense of beauty. This is a secret and deeply wonderful treat for those who think and care and have lived far and wide in this world in place and in time.

I liked it that I had the freedom to 'write' the backstory of the characters. The film is unusual in that it offers a banquet with no menu. Could just be me, but can I say there was a palpable existential thread?

I have not seen this film for a few months so memory is not completely fresh. There are a number of subplots and the weaving together is not entirely smooth, BUT there are some highly entertaining bits in this film. There's also handsome and talented James Fox, beautiful and talented Jacqueline Bisset, and sexy and talented Kenneth Branagh in his youth. Nice sex scene involving Branagh and I won't say who else, and he has a good comic turn with his character who is a jerk in some ways. I think the movie tries to cover too much territory with several plots that can't all be developed fully. However, there is gorgeous scenery in addition to the aforementioned stars, and it's fun, for the most part. Some mystery woven in, too, for those who like that. I do agree with the other reviewer who suggested watch this, then watch SHIRLEY VALENTINE which is even better.

The movie itself was a bit lacking though due to a thin plot and scattered acting. Suggest instead trying Shirley Valentine, Enchanted April, or Ginger and Cinnamon.

This is a tribute to Greece with the most stupid script! Even the actors cannot save this little junket.