Maestro

Oh how we love to hate that we like Papakaliatis' work, well, at least partially. He most definitely isn't some inventive, original, break-through mastermind. However, I think he's a clever cinema lover with good taste and charm, who knows how to pick actors (and singers apparently -wow, just wow) and what it takes to create an engaging spectacle that appeals to the vast majority of the audience (possible haters who are in fact secret watchers included):

• A catchy story. A mixture of love -always forbidden, relevant/trendy social/political issues, lots of drama and a dose of humor to lighten things up.

• Beauty. From the astonishing female lead to the wonderful cinematography and meticulously chosen music, everybody and everything are beautiful, super clean and tidy, extremely detail oriented.

But apart from these elements that tick Papakaliatis' boxes and most importantly, Maestro offers top notch acting. Natural, simple and truthful acting, that makes you forget his occasional beloved weaknesses: the copied scenes/dialogues from other movies/series, the cringey lines, his favorite Woody Allenish monologues and dialogues, the stereotypes, the politically correct preaching, criticizing capitalism from a capitalistic point of view like talking to a 5 yo (no hints or meaningful scenes, just spoon fed ideology) and the fact that he cannot resist keeping the male leading role (always portraying the moody, nice, romantic, charismatic guy that all women fall for) for himself. I must say though, I found him to be much more mature and relaxed here, acting and directing wise. Bottom-line, I enjoyed Maestro. It's well deserved being on Netflix, it's a huge success and well done to everybody.

I didn't expect much when I started watching Maestro in Blue, as I've never watched Greek series or movies. Even though I usually hate reading subtitles, from the very beginning, I realised that it was totally worth it.

After watching the trailer, it seemed to be just a romantic melodrama, however from the beginning you're presented with a mystery which keeps you want to watch more.

In my opinion the actors are also doing a great job. Some of the shots are beautifully done, and overall the series is visually pleasing.

P. S. I'm watching this straight after white lotus, so I have something to compare it with.

I could not be more excited to have a Greek made and themed show. This is a well made and well acted drama about a mysterious musical director who comes to a small island in Greece to prepare a summer music festival. The characters are complex and interesting and they're acted with depth. The series is beautifully shot, and as it is in Greece it is visually stunning. In proceeding I was concerned that I might be disappointed by the show letting me down, but just the opposite. This show kept me riveted and titillated from the first moment to last. It is not what I expected and it is crazy at times. It is brilliantly edited and the story told from the perspective of multiple key characters. I watched it in greek, but it is available in dubbed formatted as well. Keep these Greek shows coming.

I've only written one or two reviews in imdb but I had to speak up about this mini series. Disclaimer: I never was a fan of Papakaliatis (until now) so my review is objective. This series is something else, it's revolutionary, it's intriguing, it's inspiring, it's emotional! This is great work and I'm so glad to see that someone truly cares about giving food for thought about what's going on in the average Greek family, about violence, about different sexual orientations, about love. Our society needs series like this to take at least a step forward and finally overcome those boundaries! Thank you for this! All the actors are amazing. Thank you! This should be taught in schools. If we've learnt one thing from this series is that you should love and embrace your children no matter what. Be kind, be respectful. Some people are in so much physical or/and psychological pain that you have no idea about.

Finally, the Greek television comes back with a high quality series; on direction, cinematography, script and music. Beautiful scenery in the islands of Paxoi and Corfu, fantastic music in the background and well thought-through dialogue depicting the, unfortunately, hard-to-face truth about remote Greek communities.

The series will offer an opportunity through Netflix for people abroad to watch outstanding Greek actors, such as Kavogianni, Mouratidis and Tsortekis, as well as musician Alexiou. Papakaliatis invites dialogue on deeply rooted patriarchy, domestic abuse, homophobia and political agendas. However, also highlights the beauty of the Greek culture; the generosity, community, cultural appreciation and history, strong family unity and what is widely known as "filotimo".

Overall, the show is at a similar level of production as series that come from other countries. It is worth your attention and I highly recommend. On a plus side, it will probably convince you - if you are still considering - to visit Greece.