Greece Cinema is primarily known as a film industry that mainly focuses on dramatic or sensual types of movies. Though they have been threatened by war or political strife they have had a successful film industry throughout history.  Brando With A Glass Eye from writer/director Antonis Tsonis is another film in a long line of these types of films which Greece has come to be known by. 

Luca (Yiannis Niarros) is a fledgling method actor and mechanic trying to get a Fellowship at the prestigious Stella Adler School of Acting in New York City. His brother Aleko (Kostas Nikoulis wants to open up a wine bar. To achieve this goal they hatch a plan to rob a man who they suspect of having a bag full of money. Unfortunately for them, the man gets away and in the process of robbing him an innocent bystander gets shot by a stray bullet. 

Antonis uses Marlon Brando who was considered one of if not the best method actors to create a character around. His world exists as something that is there just to help him become who he wants to be, which is an actor. A side storyline involving the main character befriending the man who was shot plays a huge part in the story. It’s an aspect that helps him figure out who he truly is and what he does with his brother has weighed on him. His time with the gunshot victim Ilias (Alexandros Chrysanthopoulos) helps them both.

Method acting plays a role in this story because the main character dreams of becoming an actor. Throughout the film he uses this method to show his emotions, what he’s thinking, and how he can implement it into his real life. Like on movie sets at times it can get annoying. It’s part of his process though and part of who he wants to become in his life. Some actors have become known as great method actors or have taken a role too far on set but this character inhabits this way. 

An added element to the story and par for the course regarding Greek films is the relationship and sexual aspects of the story. Multiple women are focused on in smaller roles but they accentuate the rest of the cast nicely. They represent roles of characters that are supporting but still play a part in how the men make decisions and help each other in various parts of the movie. I did like the parts the woman played in the story from beginning to end.

Antonis has assembled a great cast for this movie. I wasn’t familiar with them before this but I will definitely be looking for them in future films. Yiannis Niarros though is an actor who I am very much looking forward to seeing soon. He brought a different level of acting to his role. He inhabited the method acting role perfectly. His role started pretty straightforward but then the method acting took over and he was doing some pretty interesting things with this character.  I was amazed by what he did in this role.

Brando With A Glass Eye was one of the few Greek films I’ve seen in my lifetime but it was very fascinating to me. The use of method acting and one of the legends of the craft, Marlon Brando, in the title was ingenious by Antonis Tsonis. Added in was a cast of very good actors with the exception of Yiannis Niarros who was exceptional in this movie. This was a good movie elevated by a great performance and story.

3 ½ stars

Dan Skip Allen