Parakalo Yinikes Min Klete

Production: A Greek Film Centre production. Produced by Yannis Gavrilos, Stavros Tsiolis. Directed, written by Tsiolis, Christos Vakalopolous.
Crew: Camera (color), Vassilis Kapsouros; editor, Kostas Iordanidis; music, Makis Bekos.

Publish date: 2024-07-03

Reviewed at Vancouver Intl. Film Festival, Oct. 7, 1993. Running time: 89 MIN.

With: Argiris Bakirtzis, Dimitris Vlachos, Dora Masklavanou, Nicholas Kekkos, Emily Papachristou.

A wistful comedy of Balkan manners, “Please Ladies, Don’t Cry” concerns a pair of traveling icon restorers who never quite get around to their work. Instead, they root around for small joys and philosophize incessantly about the decay of ancient treasures (like themselves). The pic is gentle, nostalgic, very pretty and curiously unnecessary.

Deep-voiced, hound-faced Argiris Bakirtzis makes a strong impression as the younger of the two quasi scam artists — his ministrations to the old master (Dimitris Vlachos) are full of tender regard and quiet resentment. The pair flit from one mild and pleasantly predictable adventure to the next as they head toward a vague contract in an Arcadian mountain village.

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When an attractive young painter (Dora Masklavanou) insists on joining them in their hilltop encampment, Bakirtzis is torn between lusty and paternal inclinations; he eventually manages to scare the woman — and what remains of the storyline — away.

The music and lensing are consistently sweet, but the pic feels dragged-out at less than 90 minutes. Co-helmer Stavros Tsiolis — using some of the same core ensemble featured in his solo ventures — has so much affection for his characters that he can’t bear to bring any discipline to their meanderings.

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