The familiar patchwork of superheroes we’ve seen elsewhere in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are back with their second sequel, once again written and directed by the charismatic James Gunn. Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) drowns his pain over the loss of his beloved Gamora (Zoe Saldana), but he soon has to regroup to take on the deadly danger that threatens the Rocket with others. Overall, the story of a genius raccoon with a sharp tongue takes center stage here, igniting the action and pushing the protagonists to the extreme to save their friend.

James Gunn continues at his familiar pace, promoting humor as a wrapper for pure action, which is, of course, satisfying here as well. Two and a half hours of running time is clearly overkill, but it is punctuated by several well-crafted scenes (the highlight of which is the raid on the planet of living cells) that are not afraid to even flirt with the edges. from the surreal. Of course, the references to ecology and respect for living beings are superficial and “domestic”, but the fact that they exist, and not just as an addition, is a pleasant difference for films of this genre.

Valeria is getting married ★★★
DRAMA (2022)
Directed by: Michal Vinik
Performers: Lena Freifeld, Dasha Ivoronovich

Awarded a Silver Alexander in the “Meet the Neighbors” section of the recent Thessaloniki Festival, this chamber drama from Israel holds more “gifts” than its short runtime allows. Valeria, a young girl from Ukraine, comes to Israel to meet her future husband, whom she knows only through the Internet. There she is met by her older sister Christina, who has also been married in the same way for many years – her husband arranged Valeria’s marriage for a fee. The latter, however, will begin to wonder…

Almost the entire action of the film takes place in Christina and her husband’s apartment, where a reluctant (now) Valeria must be persuaded to accept her fate.

From the very beginning, confusion and silence overshadow a seemingly positive attitude, but clearly based on a shaky foundation. Brides estranged out of need rather than out of love are themselves a harsh socio-political commentary that becomes even more pronounced when issues of gender equality and the like enter the frame. Director Michal Vinik sees to it all run through an otherwise understated film that, however, manages to properly manage its climaxes.

Just wonderful ★★
ANIMATION (2022)
Director: Rasmus A. Sivertsen
You can hear them: Vasiliki Suti, Konstantinos Claudianos.

Norwegian animation follows the trend of superhero storytelling by introducing us to a family of superheroes. Eleven-year-old Hedwig prepares to one day take the place of her father, the Superlion, in protecting the city. But that day comes sooner than she expected, and her father, finding her unprepared, decides to give the uniform to her cousin. Now Hedwig must react quickly and prove her worth.

Mystical thriller with a stellar cast of Greek actors (Dimitris Lalos, Orestis Tsiovas, Tseny Theon, Manos Vakousis, Tonia Sotiropoulou) directed by Thanasis Totsikas. Winter in Milos, a man calls the police from the hotel. When the authorities arrive, they find him wounded and two people brutally murdered. Now the police have to rely on his own version of the story to solve a case that seems to be getting more and more complicated.

Innovative feminist filmmaker Antoinette Angelides talks about her life and work in front of the camera of her daughter Rhea Walden in a special film with strong performance elements. In fact, Angelidis does not just tell about his life here, but tries to put us in the position of his artistic view as much as possible. Her visions and films (such as 1985’s groundbreaking The Place) are revealed as secrets she shares with care, but also generosity, in a film directed at art “believers” like herself. The film will be screened from today and for one week at the Greek Film Library (19:00) accompanied by discussions with the actors.