Pretty Good

Better Late Then Never

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Based on true facts, The Last Note is a moving account of the execution of two hundred Crete prisoners during World War II at the hands of German occupiers. Much of the movie is devoted to the sometimes strained relationship between the concentration camp Commandant and his Crete translator/interpreter. The movie examines that relationship both from the perspective of the Commandant and from the perspective of the interpreter. Divided loyalties exist on both sides of that relationship; in the end those conflicts are resolved the only way that it could be - through passive and active opposition, not reconciliation. The deliberate pace of the movie is essential to the impact of the movie. The courage and fortitude of the patriots, and how that courage is portrayed in this movie, will stay with you days after having seen this movie.

The execution of 200 Greek resistance fighters and Communists by the German occupiers on May 1st, 1944 in Kaisariani, as reprisal for the Greek Resistance ambush against Nazis. Despite a good ending with dramatic depth and some nice production efforts that do show 'The Last Note' suffers from terrible pacing issues that made it hard for me to sit threw and care for it's characters but also a terrible line during the climax that seemed more 2018 rather than 1944 but for some people this will seem like a return to good greek films but it's not.. (4/10)

Pantelis Voulgaris is a Greek director renowned for the aesthetic quality of his movies as well as his preoccupation with modern Greek history. It did not come to me as a surprise therefore, that I enjoyed the film so much. The historic facts were there, the story was good, the actors were well cast and played beautifully, photography was good as with all his films, but I really was pleasantly surprised by the details of the filming itself. This film stroke me as one that paid real attention to detail, very much unlike other Greek films. The sound was really good (an issue with older modern Greek movies) and all effects used were really well thought out and balanced.The story itself is moving, (maybe less so if you are not Greek). Communists imprisoned by the fascist friendly Metaxas regime, are not released when the war breaks to fight at the front, and instead, the German occupation finds them behind bars. The killing of a Nazi general by the resistance, causes a huge retaliation of the Nazis against the Greeks.

When I saw the trailer for this film I was amazed by the high production value and the serious tone the film had ,with out been overly dramatic nor it had ludicrous scenes. To the film itself ,it focuses on the execution of the inmates in in Kaisariani, as reprisal for the Greek Resistance ambush against Nazis. In the film we see how violent and predatory were the occupation forces as well as the willingness of all of the population either to fight back or support those who fight back. And when it comes to the execution it is portrait in a very mature and emotional manner.As for historical accuracy, top notch truly the director and his team put a lot of effort in order to be faithful to the events and shows what the people of my country, Greece were willing to do for resisting to the foreign occupiers. As for the main point of view character Napoleon Soukatzidis, I love that he is neither a bad-ass nor a leading figure, he is just a significant yet small part of that story and I appreciated that interpretation.Over all this film is the best that the Greek cinema has made in ages and I hope that this just the first of many to come.