Oxygono (Greek) [Blackmail Boy]

This film is set in a closed community of a small provincial town and focuses on a family facing many serious problems. The characters are vulnerable, innocent and ordinary but they all become ruthless and callous worrying only about themselves and the money. The film, although gives a very soap opera feeling, is still pretty interesting in holding the viewers interest.

The family consists of mother Magda who owns important land coveted by entrepreneurs and who runs a bakery while caring for her wholly invalid husband injured in a car crash that killed her daughter; a money-conscious daughter married to Stelios, an earthy stud of a man with whom Magda is having an affair; the silent near comatose father who sits observing the tragedy like a wordless Greek chorus; and Christos, the hunky son who is bisexual and sleeping with a young girlfriend and an older woman and an older bisexual male city official Yiorgos who is married with children and is in charge of the city planning, his chief project involves the land Magda owns. The plot is convoluted but basically boils down to the development of a blackmail plan that will gain money for the land the family owns. The blackmail plan involves Christos' affair with Yiorgos in which videotapes are made of Christos' assignations with Yiorgos. The lives of all the characters are altered once the greed consumes them and there are discoveries, a death, betrayals, twists and feuds that end in a surprising manner.

The story moves fast, but once you get a hold of who's betraying whom, you become enthralled by the lives of this wonderfully despicable family. The actor playing Christos does really well; full of teenage angst, confusion, and only wants to detach himself from the family drama that surrounds him. The scenes of fights, arguments,, talk etc within the family are all very realistic. Another good thing is that no judgements are made on any character and it is left unto the viewers to make their own judgements.

I enjoyed it. I hope you do too. (7/10)