Maestro

This debut of a Greek production on Netflix is remarkable. It has all the ingredients that make for a great cinematic experience: diverse themes that affect ordinary people, titillating music, engaging dialogue (terse but thoughtful, sometimes witty and wise) and creative use of foreboding.

The viewer is able to relate to each of the major characters. Episodes are devoted to a major character. Orestis, Haris, Sofia, Fanis, Maria, Michalis and Haralambos come to life. Thus, the viewer knows how he/she develops. Compelling drama then ensues as the characters interact.

The settings help in making a heart-rending story: the idyllic Greek islands of Paxos and Corfu on the Ionian Sea.

Haris Alexiou, Maris Kavoyianni, Marisha Triantafyllidou, Christopher Papakaliatis, and the young actors Khelia Andriolatou and Orestis Chalkias deserve our ovation.

Now that Greek cinema has caught the attention of Netflix, do we expect more of the same quality Greek films from this video streaming leader? Parakalos.

I could not be more excited to have a Greek made and themed show. This is a well made and well acted drama about a mysterious musical director who comes to a small island in Greece to prepare a summer music festival. The characters are complex and interesting and they're acted with depth. The series is beautifully shot, and as it is in Greece it is visually stunning. In proceeding I was concerned that I might be disappointed by the show letting me down, but just the opposite. This show kept me riveted and titillated from the first moment to last. It is not what I expected and it is crazy at times. It is brilliantly edited and the story told from the perspective of multiple key characters. I watched it in greek, but it is available in dubbed formatted as well. Keep these Greek shows coming.

BRILLIANT! GENIUS! I WANT ALL SHADES OF BLUE AND COLORS FOR MAESTRO!

My first Greek series thanks to Netflix and what a delight!

All is perfect: acting, story lines, music, cinematography and scenery.

It is light and profound at the same time.

Very probable stories.

The Greeks have achieved a master piece and I can't wait to watch more.

Maybe a second season for Maestro, they left it open ended.

Or more movies and series from same team and actors.

I am in awe and speechless how they tackled so many issues with virtuoso and realism.

The acting was super from all: the younger cast, the oldest and even the despicable character.

DON'T MISS THAT GEM!

Unlike Papakaliatis early works, Maestro is a true gem. Without a doubt he has come a long way and has made great progress in film making. Above all, Maestro is a very good story told by real people who face every day problems and try to cope with them. Very important issues are raised such as domestic violence, racism and family matters that everyone could relate to, more or less. Moreover, the direction and cinematography of the series are brilliant. Another very big plus is the selection of music, which if i'm not mistaken is again Papakaliatis' job. In conclusion, i find Maestro to be one of the best greek tv series i've ever watched (well still do) and is the only one that makes me get emotional. Can't wait for the next episode and why not for a next season. So glad that it is airing soon on Netflix and it is going international. Cheers to the next one Christopher!

Oh how we love to hate that we like Papakaliatis' work, well, at least partially. He most definitely isn't some inventive, original, break-through mastermind. However, I think he's a clever cinema lover with good taste and charm, who knows how to pick actors (and singers apparently -wow, just wow) and what it takes to create an engaging spectacle that appeals to the vast majority of the audience (possible haters who are in fact secret watchers included):

• A catchy story. A mixture of love -always forbidden, relevant/trendy social/political issues, lots of drama and a dose of humor to lighten things up.

• Beauty. From the astonishing female lead to the wonderful cinematography and meticulously chosen music, everybody and everything are beautiful, super clean and tidy, extremely detail oriented.

But apart from these elements that tick Papakaliatis' boxes and most importantly, Maestro offers top notch acting. Natural, simple and truthful acting, that makes you forget his occasional beloved weaknesses: the copied scenes/dialogues from other movies/series, the cringey lines, his favorite Woody Allenish monologues and dialogues, the stereotypes, the politically correct preaching, criticizing capitalism from a capitalistic point of view like talking to a 5 yo (no hints or meaningful scenes, just spoon fed ideology) and the fact that he cannot resist keeping the male leading role (always portraying the moody, nice, romantic, charismatic guy that all women fall for) for himself. I must say though, I found him to be much more mature and relaxed here, acting and directing wise. Bottom-line, I enjoyed Maestro. It's well deserved being on Netflix, it's a huge success and well done to everybody.