A 30-year-old Greek woman still living with mom
and dad and hostessing at the family restaurant
decides it's time to buck the tradition. She gets
contacts, a new hairstyle, more attractive clothes
and enrolls in a few computer classes eventually
stumbling in love with a non-Greek. Their romance
causes waves throughout the whole extended family of
loud, loving kin. In perfectly delightful contrast
the boyfriend's proper, screamingly quiet, parents
find meeting potential in-laws to be an extreme
sport.
The film starts slow, drab even, hoping a few cute
ethnic caricatures will start the ball rolling.
Fortunately, the pace enjoys a very gradual, but
nonetheless determined incline. Unfortunately, a
blossoming rite of passage story plays second fiddle
to the overwhelming bustling drive to a loud Greek
wedding. The latter hosts some good chuckles and warm
fuzzy moments.
"You better get married; you're starting to look
old," her Greek father shakes his head, sprays his
arm with Windex and proceeds to claim that any word
has Greek origin.
Fearing a continued dreary future the daughter
frets, "I'm way passed my expiration date."
While I found the film averagely entertaining, my
friend loved it, and so did another friend I ran into
on the way. He said, "I've seen it three times!"
Perhaps my upbringing in a similarly loud
Mediterranean family squelched any shocking moments
of surprise for me.
|