Good Life

Having heard a review about this film made in Cape Town this past Sunday and the history behind the making thereof, I felt it would be worthwhile to watch it. Being available on Netflix, it was easy to get hold of it. The film is neatly made with parts of Cape Town also made to look like Greece where most of the action takes place. This boring story however is weak and anyone who can understand my heading will know what I think about it.

Well, let's just get it out of the way: a small South African production, shot during the first (read "BIG") wave of Covid and on basically no budget. So the angry reviews about it not being my Big Fat Greek Wedding is perhaps missing that little gems doesn't always have Big Fat Budgets or South African actors that speak Greek......However, this indie movie has a lot of soul, touches your heart , makes you smile and even shed a tear. Olive's journey is utterly human and relatable; it transcends country or culture. The cast is great and the acting is gripping. You probably won't remember Good Life for the rest of your life, but it will sure brighten up your week. Enjoy it!

Bonnie Rodini did a wonderful job with this move, especially considering she filmed it during the first wave of Covid. Our protagonist Olive is a young dental hygienist with what appears to be yet another broken heart who is still yearning for her father, and she decides to go to Greece to find out what really happened to his house, which her mother does not want to discuss, and upon arriving she discovers an entire village is against her. But through the friendship of a young boy and her own tenacity and goodness, she overcomes adversity and heals the past for all of those involved. This is one of the best movies I've seen in years.. it has heart, and it shows not only the goodness of the human spirit, but that of the healing power to be found in facing the Truth. A lovely movie indeed.

A pretty mediocre attempt to get into the niche market of "Greeks Abroad" that kicked off with "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". It might have helped if any of the characters could actually speak Greek; as it was, they sounded like kids in kindergarten with fake "Greek accents", who'd practised speaking words which meant nothing to them.

The plot was wafer-thin, the acting made any village Am-dram Group look like Oscar winners and the script appeared to have been written in the previously-mentioned kindergarten.

Definitely one to avoid, even on a wet day.

Unlike other reviewers, I didn't watch this movie to critique its "Greek authenticity". The title, GOOD LIFE is what it's all about. We all need a light-hearted, pick-me-up from time to time and this film is just that. I found the characters endearing and completely relatable, the humour subtle but incredibly amusing and the overall production of a very high quality. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this film.