Brides

I had the opportunity to see this last year at The Toronto Film Festival. It was definitely my favorite of the festival. The story is beautiful and a topic that has never been featured before in a movie. All these mail-order-brides from Greece, Turkey, Russia and other east-European countries on there way to the US to marry a man they only knew from a photograph. I love the romance-story between Norman Harris and Nikki Douka. The end is quite a surprise and it brought a tear to my eye. This is not a Hollywood block-buster with lots of special effects, but it is a real story about something that happened in Greek history almost a century ago. It is not only for Greek people but also for those who love a romantic love story unfolding in tragedy...

The 2005 Greek Film Festival has come to Canberra, and this movie was the biggest attraction. Wow! What a film! A touching yet subtle story of love, longing and desire. The tragedy of the situation of these mail-order brides, lost without a connection to their homeland, without money, family or hope for the future. This was a beautifully shot and acted film. The director Pantelis Voulgaris should be congratulated. Damian Lewis has never been stronger, a gorgeous leading man, who gives his character Norman, such a natural on screen presence, that there appears to be nothing artificial about him. Niki is a fine leading female character, strong, resolute, yet naturally human and weak. The love story, not just amongst the principles simmered and grew, the sexual tension not forced or faked. Wonderful.

One of those "if all movies were made like this" films. Kudos to all involved. A real-life story of passionate love. Bravo.

Every time I watch Nyfes, I think of many of my older relatives, my mom included, who emigrated to Canada in the 1940s and 1950s under very similar circumstances. The scenes shot in Greece are especially breath-taking. Voulgaris made me think how ironic it was that people were forced to leave such a beautiful, but poverty-stricken country. Damian Lewis is excellent as the hopeless romantic while Victoria Haralabidou, as Niki Douka, manages to convey the fatalistic acceptance her character must have been feeling. These two performers develop one of the best examples of culture clash in a movie. Martin Scorcese is one of the producers of this movie, and I don't think he would ever let himself be associated with something which is not artistically sound. As for Voulgaris, he has done an excellent job.

Excellent film. Characters well developed. Visually, a beautiful film: from the sky and the sea of the Greek islands to the smallest detail of the wedding dresses of the brides from many different places. The sexual tension builds between the two main characters in a believable way as they carefully develop their relationship, respectful of each other and ever aware of the invisible boundaries that separate them. The film is imagined from a true historical event which lends poignancy to the plot. It gives great insight into Greek culture on things such as life on the Greek islands at that time in history and the importance of family honor in Greek families. It also addresses issues that we struggle with in our modern world. I hope you will be able to see it. It's well worth the time invested.

My English are not very well but I'll try. This is a movie that I really love. It moves me a lot and contains some so wonderful scenes and quotes that I'll remember for years. Of course I have the special edition of DVD and I've seen it again and again. The movie has the most powerful erotic moment that I saw in cinema for a long time now – so far from the cliché and stereotypes of Hollywood. Her shoe, his hand, their eyes! Nothing more. No sweet words, no unnecessary movements. Just a touch and a look. The performances are very emotional and the same time realistic, the direction of Pantelis Voulgaris strong and precise and the music haunts you many hours after the viewing. And don't forget that the movie tell us some true events that happened at the early of 1900. Imagine a women (700 in the movie) who travel with an old ship cross the Atlantic (when till then she never goes farther 1 km from her poor village). She's going to a foreign country, an unknown future and a stranger husband with only some clothes and the photograph of him. She is clever, dynamic and good looking, and in spite of all that marks she accepts her destiny, against to her heart and her deepest feelings, because the family and the traditional values have the first priority in her choices. After "Brides" I feel deeply grateful for the fact that I am a citizen of 21 century and in a democracy which NOW respect the women as equal as the men. I recommend you strongly this film.