Kostis arrives on the small Greek island of Antiparos in the middle of winter as the new GP, an overweight middle-aged man with an unkempt appearance, a smoker and bad eater, and seems to have resigned himself to singledom for the rest of his years. This would be the story of a depressed rural doctor in an aging island population of 800, rather that the numbers explode during it's life as a hedonistic resort in the summer months, one where inhibitions, and clothes, are keenly shed.
Kostis appears to be a man that's resigned to life having passed him by, and the grey wintery weather he experiences on arrival matches his mood. The crude and sleazy Takis, the kind of man no woman should leave an unguarded drink near, promises that all is different in the summer, giving the disinterested and Kostis lurid tales of the sexual escapades he can expect during peak season.
So far, so normal, until Anna and friends, a group of young party animals, come to his practice, Anna with a wounded leg. Anna, thankful for her treatment, invites Kostis to hang out with them sometime, Kostis takes up the invite, looking for them at a local beach. Kostis, a lone male on a clothing optional beach in a bucket hat and zombie-white from high-factor suncream, is the first sign of things looking very awkward.
Anna and friends adopt Kostis as their friend and they have a blast together. They're the spirit of YOLO, what happens on the island, stays on the island, whilst Kostis is no holidaymaker, and will indeed stay on the island. He is anyhow having the time of his life with his new friends during this first summer on the island, somewhat at the detriment to his work as the relied-upon local GP. However, Anna's flirtatious attentions to Kostis, and their lack of perception and awareness, are about make things turn for the worse - Anna does not contemplate what her actions could do to the mind of a man lacking love and intimacy in his life, and Kostis misreading her attention as genuine interest and his inability to then let go.
I'm curious what the perception of female viewers would be, but being a man the same age as Kostis, this is very uncomfortable viewing. For this reason, this is why Suntan has stayed in my mind long afterwards - this review is actually being written as an effort to clear my mind. We meet Orestis, a former med school classmate of Kostis who he chances upon at the beach. This is the friend that was successful, married, remains in good shape, and satisfied enough with his current life, that he can look on at the kissing party next door with shrugged disinterest. He tells Kostis that this kind of party is not for middle-aged men, 'already did that when I was younger', whilst Kostis, clearly feeling his inadequacy, dreams of being able to join in with the younger, beautiful people.
A painful, excruciating watch, but a very well made film that will absolutely make you feel something.
Kostis appears to be a man that's resigned to life having passed him by, and the grey wintery weather he experiences on arrival matches his mood. The crude and sleazy Takis, the kind of man no woman should leave an unguarded drink near, promises that all is different in the summer, giving the disinterested and Kostis lurid tales of the sexual escapades he can expect during peak season.
So far, so normal, until Anna and friends, a group of young party animals, come to his practice, Anna with a wounded leg. Anna, thankful for her treatment, invites Kostis to hang out with them sometime, Kostis takes up the invite, looking for them at a local beach. Kostis, a lone male on a clothing optional beach in a bucket hat and zombie-white from high-factor suncream, is the first sign of things looking very awkward.
Anna and friends adopt Kostis as their friend and they have a blast together. They're the spirit of YOLO, what happens on the island, stays on the island, whilst Kostis is no holidaymaker, and will indeed stay on the island. He is anyhow having the time of his life with his new friends during this first summer on the island, somewhat at the detriment to his work as the relied-upon local GP. However, Anna's flirtatious attentions to Kostis, and their lack of perception and awareness, are about make things turn for the worse - Anna does not contemplate what her actions could do to the mind of a man lacking love and intimacy in his life, and Kostis misreading her attention as genuine interest and his inability to then let go.
I'm curious what the perception of female viewers would be, but being a man the same age as Kostis, this is very uncomfortable viewing. For this reason, this is why Suntan has stayed in my mind long afterwards - this review is actually being written as an effort to clear my mind. We meet Orestis, a former med school classmate of Kostis who he chances upon at the beach. This is the friend that was successful, married, remains in good shape, and satisfied enough with his current life, that he can look on at the kissing party next door with shrugged disinterest. He tells Kostis that this kind of party is not for middle-aged men, 'already did that when I was younger', whilst Kostis, clearly feeling his inadequacy, dreams of being able to join in with the younger, beautiful people.
A painful, excruciating watch, but a very well made film that will absolutely make you feel something.