Maestro

Unlike Papakaliatis early works, Maestro is a true gem. Without a doubt he has come a long way and has made great progress in film making. Above all, Maestro is a very good story told by real people who face every day problems and try to cope with them. Very important issues are raised such as domestic violence, racism and family matters that everyone could relate to, more or less. Moreover, the direction and cinematography of the series are brilliant. Another very big plus is the selection of music, which if i'm not mistaken is again Papakaliatis' job. In conclusion, i find Maestro to be one of the best greek tv series i've ever watched (well still do) and is the only one that makes me get emotional. Can't wait for the next episode and why not for a next season. So glad that it is airing soon on Netflix and it is going international. Cheers to the next one Christopher!

Powerful! That's the only word that comes to mind when thinking about this show. Mainly known for their cuisine, and the beauty of their country, here the Greeks have, unlike what the large majority might expect, hit hard with this incredible piece of art. Their entry on the largest streaming platform in the world certainly did not go by unoticed nor dissapoint as the series easily found its way to the top 10 list for tv shows in many countries around the globe. The production designer of this series should definitely be applauded for the selection of the many sets, and locations, all of which were breathtakingly outstanding. Also, the actors knew exactly what they were doing when came the time to perform. They may be unknown for the large majority of us, but that did not prevent them from shining to the best of their ability for the whole planet to see. Additionally, knowing that this show told the story of a musician, I was not expecting anything less from the soundtrack. Saying that the composers nailed it in that area would be a understatement. So go ahead, watch it, watch it, watch it, for the actors who played wonderfully, for the plot that grips you from start to finish, as well as for the lanscapes that showcase Greece's natural appeal. You will not be deceived.

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.

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.

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.