The love for Stelios Kazantzidis has not left much room for the rest of the screenings at the Greek box office
The sweeping passage of “Yparcho”, which proves the eternal love of the Greeks for Kazantzidis, does not leave much room for the rest of the films in the first week of 2025.
Thus, from the only four new arrivals, the eponymous remake of the classic film “Nosferatu” by Robert Eggert and, secondarily, the biographical musical “Better Man” by Michael Gracie stand out. Also showing are French violent drama ‘Broken Hearts’ by Gilles Lelouch and animated children’s film ‘Sonic 3: The Movie’.
Nosferatu
2024 American horror film directed by Robert Eggert, starring Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Melody Depp, Willem Dafoe, Emma Corinne, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, etc. One of the most anticipated films of the year, the remake of Murnau’s iconic film, comes with the 2025 ep, to compete with the hit of the year, as proved by “I Exist”.
Bram Stoker’s classic novel is being brought to the big screen for the third time, following Murnau’s original expressionist masterpiece 102 years ago and the special creator Werner Herzog’s second good effort in 1979, to remind us that there will always be exceptions to the movie remakes, which we feel should be left untouched. The examples of classic films that were remade and crowned by utter failure abound. On the contrary, there are very few films that managed to stand next to the originals, of this size, decently or even equal.
Robert Eggers, a skilled director, with good examples in his short career in cinema (“The Lighthouse”, “The Man from the North”, “The Witch”) will dare to make his dream come true – something he planned here and about ten years – and even securing the funds from quality Focus Features and Universal.
Having, therefore, all the conditions to unfold his plan and writing the script himself, he will manage to highlight the power of the terrible myth and while remaining faithful to the original film, to send an elaborate, detailed, respectable and intelligent love letter to the original work by Murnau.
A young clerk, Hutter, travels to the Carpathians to deliver some contracts to the mysterious Count Orlok, who is looking for a home in Germany. Before even reaching the Count’s castle, Hooter senses the terror of the nearby villagers. When the creepy-looking Count sees Hooter’s talisman with the picture of his beautiful wife, Helen, he immediately signs the contracts and gets an old house in Germany. Soon Hutter discovers that with this contract he is paving the way for terror to come to his city, which will mainly affect his wife.
The technically and aesthetically flawless Eggers finds the opportunity to make a crucial comment on our time and the pandemic fear that has spread, with impressive images and an eerie sequence of hallucinations, giving his own stamp to the work.
From there, despite the studied direction, the cinematography that evokes the romance of the 19th century and the use of natural lighting, but also the exterior shots that enhance the authenticity of the setting and 19th century Germany and as a whole creating an evocative scary atmosphere , also reveals his weaknesses. As he brings his cursed hero closer to today’s audiences – taking advantage of both modern technical possibilities and his stylized portrayal, he can’t come close to Murnau’s emotional torrent and the tragedy of Count Orlok, who behind his insidiously terrifying visage – which here it cannot be compared to that of the 1922 film or even Herzog’s – it hides the passion that will destroy him.
Where Eggers does best is in his handling of the psychological subtlety and Freudian ordeal of Helen, who is both attracted to the vampire and repulsed by it, realizing that these two instincts must be reconciled.
Aside from the film’s slow start, which seems to overdo the character building and some scenes that drag on longer than they should, Eggers delivers a film that may lack in soul, but it wins with its overall effort and is definitely one of those cases that stand decently next to the original and not just any, but Murnau’s.
The performances of the protagonists of this cursed love triangle are remarkable, with Skarsgard embodying the horror and character of Count Orlok, while Lily-Rose Melody Depp (daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis) stands out clearly by managing to balance, without to take refuge in eases, the sadness, the terror and the inner strength of a woman, which must stand up to the patriarchal structure of the time.
IN A NUTSHELL… A gothic tale of obsession between a young woman and the terrifying vampire who falls madly in love with her, sowing unspeakable terror.
Better Man
2024 Australian biographical drama musical directed by Michael Gracie, starring Jono Davis, Kate Mulvaney, Steve Pemberton, Alison Steedman, Damon Herriman, Robbie Williams and others.
Biographical drama musical – pleasant surprise, about the tumultuous life of Robbie Williams, one of the most commercial singers in British pop music, which not only appeals to his fans, but also has its own heightened interest and can appeal even to those who are indifferent for that particular type of music.
A film, about the rise, fall and rebirth of Robbie Williams, that escapes the trivial and makes a difference, penetrating deeply into the character of the tortured artist, but also into the world of the music industry and the serious pathologies of English society.
Seven years later and Michael Gracie’s also-ran musical The Greatest Showman will veer away from conventional celebrity biopics, casting Williams as a monkey to portray the singer’s demons that plagued him. for years and led him to abuse and self-destruction, until he was reborn and triumphantly returned to the music scene.
A tomboy, the failure of school and the neighborhood, with an absent abusive father, he watched with his grandmother on TV the star of the time and dreamed that he can become famous to prove to everyone that he is worth it. Robbie Williams, aged just 15, auditioned for controversial manager Nigel Martin Smith and managed to get into Take That, which would become one of Britain’s most successful bands. Only the insecurities, the unprecedented pressure, the unknown world in which he landed led him to violent outbursts, abuse and self-destruction.
Interesting approach of a famous artist by Gracie, who in collaboration with Williams – embodied by a CGI monkey, a clear reference to the famous success of “Me and my monkey” – did not hesitate to talk about everything that most often cinematic biographies hide or hurt at best. That is, the serious psychological traumas, phobias, insecurities and inability of the hero to manage the fame, the dark and ruthless world of the music industry and the English stereotypes, which stem from the class separation.
Satisfying performances from the large cast, of which Damon Herriman, the controversial manager, stands out, while the voice of the narrator Robbie Williams sets the tone throughout the film, in which, in addition to the well-known hits, he has re-recorded for the film, he also performs Forbidden Road which he wrote especially for the film.
IN A NUTSHELL… The story of Robbie Williams from his childhood and involvement in the hit band Take That to his unparalleled success as a solo singer, while also touching on the challenges that fame brought to his life.
Broken Hearts
Dramatic emotional thriller, French production of 2024, directed by Gilles Lelouch, with Adele Exarchopoulos, Francois Civil, Malorie Wanek, Benoit Poulvord. Vincent Lacoste Ms.
Renowned actor Gilles Lelouch’s attempt to bring to the screen a Neville Thompson novel, the intensely violent heartbreaking romance with an epic mood, fails without excuses. With a cost of 35 million euros, which is the most expensive French production for Studio Canal and with the unexpected choice to be in the competition section of the Cannes Film Festival, it looked like the beast that came to do away with the corresponding American films. And yet this invincible beast, in the first hole, finds itself collapsing like a paper tower in slow motion – possibly to torment us for nearly three hours, the length of the film.
Gilles Lelouch, with several interesting performances, returns after six years to direct with an epic mood and above all with the belief that he will impress us so much that we will forget the immortal love stories we have seen on the big screen. The result was heartbreaking and is mainly due to the unexpected – from where and to where? – his megalomania and the abandonment of the script to its fate, in the face of the reconstruction of the time, the unnecessarily long sequences, the exaggeration and finally the one-dimensional characters, the nailed-down American spirit that becomes even more annoying accompanied by the familiar often characteristic French narrative chatter.
The story, which spans three decades, wants Clotère, a rebellious youth, living in a run-down neighborhood of a small French town, to fall in love with an orphaned classmate, for her fearless character. A great love that will be cut short when Clotter’s illegal activity lands him in prison for a crime he never committed. After ten years, their lives have changed, they feel betrayed by everyone and especially by themselves. He trying to get out of the tunnel of prison experience and her married in a conventional marriage. Even so, life will bring them together again, but nothing is the same as the past.
With an air of technicolor, illustration production and half a dose of musical, Lelouch will tell a story of love and crime without measure, effectively dividing his story into two parts, that of youth and that of adult life, with the first having a certain interest , in contrast to the second, where everything fades and the director extorts the emotion beyond what is necessary.
In the center of the film four protagonists, for the different ages of the heroes, with the young Malori Wanek and Malik Frika being nice choices and the two stars, who play the adults, Adel Exarchopoulos and François Civil, getting lost in his choices and arrogance Lelouch.
IN A NUTSHELL… Rebellious teenager Klotter falls in love with his classmate, Zaki, charmed by her fearless spirit. As love blossoms between the two, rampant gang violence drags Clotter down dark paths and he finds himself in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. After many years apart, living diametrically different lives, they will come together again.
The film is still showing:
Sonic 3: The Movie
Sonic the Hedgehog and his company return to the big screen in the third continuation of their story, which is inspired by the game Sonic Adventure 2, but also secondly Shadow the Hedgehog. Digital animation with live characters, of which Jim Carrey stands out prominently in a double villain role.
The film, directed by Jeff Fowler, moves to the familiar rhythms of the successful franchise, with a children’s adventure, which can be “fooled” by the parent next to his child. Carrey plays with his famous “rubbery” grimaces, which made him famous, while the story flows in a relaxed and fun way. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite and team up against Shadow, a new, powerful opponent with powers they’ve never faced before.
Dubbed in Greek with the voices of Panagiotis Apostolopoulos (Sonic), Deni Makri (Tom), Christos Plaini (Dr. Robotnik), Yiannis Tsoutsias (Wade), Georgina Liosi (Mandy), Tasso Kosti and Ms.
