Bourek

A nifty film about cultural differences and how meaningless they really are. It's refreshing to see a multinational movie in our time of so much division. The movie references many other films, set in similar locales, or dealing with cuisine, blending them together with its own humor and panache. In the beginning, it takes a while for the movie to get on the road, but once it does, it becomes a pleasurable and ultimately uplifting experience.

Bourek is a delightful film, intelligently written and visually stunning. It manages to be both a modern-day fairy-tale and a timeless glimpse at mythological figures washed up on the island of Time itself. It's also a commentary on how best to cultivate our gardens far from the crosswinds of globalization where man is a wolf to man. The cinematography is extraordinary (cerulean blues, glistening light, every color shot with visible wonder) and the acting of the lead Katerina Misichroni, aerial and soulful, as well as the marvelous Al Nazemian (who plays a hilarious risen-from-the-sea, Yeats-reciting Libyan refugee) are simply unforgettable. Mr Nazemian's arrival on Khronos is the highlight of the film, and both its mythic and comedic apex. All in all this is a world one dreams to visit time and time again, both for the sheer pleasure of re-encountering Misichroni's and Nazemian's exquisite faces, and for the very lush sensual (and gastronomic) pleasure the movie conjures with such style and comic bravado.

Funny, smart, beautiful and filled with light, "Burek" is a delight of a movie. The cosmopolitan cast is outstanding (especially the brothers Sergej and Bane Trifunovic). It is amazing how many characters and story lines intersect in the film, how the story unfolds, keeps interest and builds for the finale. Anybody who is familiar with that part of the world will also appreciate the subtext of the stories (and not only that part of the world, as two of the many leads are also British and American). Although there is quite a bit of ironic commentary in Burek, it is never mean-spirited, but genuinely funny. We laugh with with the characters, not at them. "Burek" is a film of hope and optimism - it will put a smile on your face.

There's so much to enjoy in this movie. First, the cinematography is lovely with several unique locations in Greece that are beautiful. The musical score is consistently solid throughout the movie. The writer has mixed comedy & drama, so it has an uneven tone, but in the end, it comes together nicely. You do have to stick with it for a while and get past the subtitles, but in the end it's worth it. The performances are a little uneven- with some powerful performances and some phoned-in acting, but as a whole, the film works really well. It may not be a perfect movie, but it has a positive message, which is rare these days, and is different from the typical Hollywood movie. Not for all tastes, but it has lots of appeal.

I saw this movie on a grey rainy day and it managed to cheer me up. It's not slapstick, apart from a few scenes, and definitely not gaudy or garish. If that's your thing, you shouldn't bother. Also not for people who hate subtitles. If you enjoy films in the vein of Mediterraneo or Paul Mazursky's Tempest, you should give it a try. It's an entertaining journey with lovely vistas and music. Some of the acting is uneven, some of the set-ups have been done before, but the movie is able to capture the Greek sunshine, sea, and good mood of its characters into something quite unique and deliver it to the viewer. If you're open to receive it, you will love this movie. By the way, the end credit sequence is an obvious homage to Mazursky's Tempest. I recommend streaming on a big screen in HD with good sound.