TWO TICKETS TO GREECE reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Marc Fitoussi
Stars: Laure Calamy, Olivia Cote, Kristin Scott Thomas, Alexandre Desrousseaux, Panos Koronis.
Former childhood best friends Blandine (Olivia Cote, from The Rose Maker, etc) and Margalie (Laure Calamy, from Antoinette In The Cevennes, etc) reunite after thirty years and head off for a dream holiday to Greece but things do not go smoothly in this so-so comedy.
Blandine is a radiation technician who is still emotionally withdrawn and morose following the divorce from her husband who left her for a younger and more vibrant woman, while Margalie is the complete opposite – extroverted, freewheeling, loud and over the top. Blandine’s 20-year-old son Benjamin (Alexandre Desrousseaux), who is about to move out of home, is the catalyst for bringing the two together when he comes across an old cassette tape while packing. Blandine briefly reminisces about her childhood friend. Benjamin arranges for the two women to meet at a restaurant, hoping to cheer Blandine up.
As young girls both Blandine and Margalie had planned to visit the Greek island of Amorgos, which was the setting for their favourite movie – Luc Besson’s 1988 drama The Big Blue. Encouraged by Benjamin the pair head off for a holiday to fulfill that childhood dream. But from the outset the more cautious Blandine and Margalie clash over nearly every decision and Margalie’s hare-brained attempts to save some money lead to disaster. After Margalie tries to scam a cheap ferry ride the two find themselves on an unplanned journey through several Greek islands. They later connect with Margalie’s friend Bijou (an almost unrecogniseable Kristin Scott Thomas), a bohemian jewellery artist who lives on Mykonos with her Greek husband Dimitris (Panos Koronis). All three women have their own baggage that they need to work through.
The film is largely shaped by the prickly chemistry that develops between the two main characters, and the lead actresses beautifully play up the obvious contrasts between their characters. Calamy has previously demonstrated an ability to play both light comedy and more intense drama and she relishes the opportunity to play the over-the-top and uninhibited character of Margalie. While her vivacious performance suits the character her abrasive personality occasionally grates. Calamy earns some big laughs in the early part of the film, but the film takes a turn into more serious territory and she eventually earns some sympathy as we learn that her vibrant persona was shaped by a troubled childhood. Cote is more nuanced as the reserved and largely humourless Blandine, and she crafts a more complex and complicated character. Scott Thomas lends a touch of gravitas and warmth to her performance.
With Two Tickets To Greece, writer/director Marc Fitoussi (the tv series Call My Agent, etc) taps into the usual tropes of the road movie and the odd couple buddy movie, giving the material more of a female centric slant. But he gets the pacing and tone wrong. There are times during the film’s almost two-hour running time when the material almost grinds to a halt, and a tighter edit could have helped. While the plot is hardly original the film explores themes of friendship, depression, overcoming obstacles and trying to find the positives in life. There are some stunning vistas of the picturesque Greek islands courtesy of cinematographer Antoine Roch, who gives the material a sleek visual quality.
★★☆
