I Wish I Were Stephanie V

As a fellow Greek I have to say I absolutely loved this movie. It had splashes of My Big Fat Greek Wedding but with a teen film, girly romance angle to it. The most lovable character is the totally full on Greek grandmother Yaya - played by Jill Mckay who is truly awesome. In some scenes I laughed till I cried. Matrix star Clayton Watson can be recognised as playing the Greek boy hearttrhob - which suits him to a T. Clayton looks so Greek. And newcomer Chloe Traicos plays the lead role of the gawky but sweet, abrasive , but lovable - heroine. Dani Crane and Aimee Falzon are both wonderful in their supporting roles of the two best friends. Dani Crane being the irresistible Stephanie V who everyone wants to be. ( But who has a terrible secret …. No spoilers not telling. You need to see the film)

From what I know so far this film has only screened at festivals. I'm hoping it will get a cinema release soon as its one I want to take my entire Big Fat Greek Family too. On the whole a really good sweet and enjoyable film all round.

Have to say as an Independent Comedy Nerd I absolutely enjoyed this wonderful movie. I saw it in New York a few years back and have been trying to get it on DVD but to no avail. It tells the story of 3 girls from 3 different cultural backgrounds living in Australia. Each girl has her own problems struggling with what is expected of her from her family and socially. This is especially seen with the character of Naz - a Muslim girl expected to marry a much older man and instead she falls for a much younger Australian boy. And with Helen - the Greek tennis nerd who has her heart set on the unobtainable Jimmy but then who unexpectedly falls for the macho Jewish stud - Tony. The story is a beautiful coming of age piece about the lives of these 3 girls and the unexpected twists and turns their lives take. And of course there is the element of tragedy when Helen realizes that the exquisitely beautiful Stephanie's life is far from perfect. The cast is superb. I especially like the larger than life Jill Mckay as Yaya. As well as Chloe Traicos who does a great job playing the nerdy Helen. Altogether a really enjoyable piece.

What I love most about Stephanie V were the 3 female character and their intertwining stories and relations. It is great to see female characters further developed than the usual one-layer handbag view we usually get in mainstream movies- I would have even loved to know more! Chloe is fantastic at writing romantic comedies- the story is alive with characters you recognise and situations we find ourselves in too often. It is a positive and uplifting movie, where romance and love is not always an easy experience but in the end always worth it for what it shows us about ourselves. I saw people leaving I Wish I was Stephanie V with smiles on their faces- this is certainly something we want more of with the Australian cinema experience! Go Chloe!

One of the best Feel Good Films I've seen in a long time. Done on a tiny budget this film keeps you engrossed in the characters and story from start to finish. Its one of those movies where you don't need stars or 35ml film to make it a success it succeeds all on its own. To me the most outstanding actress was the flamboyant Jill Mckay who plays the role of the Greek grandmother. She is brilliant in the role. Both hilarious and moving in the performance she gives. Chloe Traicos is awesome as her nerdy grand daughter. And Kain O'Keeffe definitely wins " Most Likable" in his role as the homeless but lovable Brendan. Would love to see this again.

I attended the screening of Stephanie V at the Women in Film festival in Sydney. Was very impressed with what was done with a relatively low budget. The film works well throughout and some of the older characters are particularly enjoyable. The star of the film is Chloe Traicos who also penned the script which is very solid. We can expect great things from Chloe in the future. The story follows three young girls in their quest for love and the hurdles, such as overprotective parents, they have to overcome. Chloe's performance is excellent and she interacts well with the top notch cast. Chloe plays the lead character Helen, a young Greek girl trying to find her way in love and life. Standout performances were Jill McKay. Her role as a traditional overprotective Greek ya ya is hilarious. Kain O'Keefe is also well cast as an energetic friend. I hope this film finds a decent Australian distributor and sales agent as it deserves to go far. I look forward to seeing it on the big screen around Australia.