The Man with the Answers
Two for the road in an easygoing, relaxed movie.
Written and directed by Stelios Kammitsis, The Man with the Answers follows two men who on meeting up by chance share a journey from Greece to Bavaria. As such it qualifies as a road movie, but films of that genre, even if episodic, tend to be full of incidents which this is not. Indeed, what is so curious about this piece, the second feature by Kammitsis, is the fact that it is so laid back and so ready to adopt a style that counts as minimalistic.
It is, of course, not uncommon to find films that do embrace minimalism but those that do can usually be considered arthouse movies. In contrast to that, The Man with the Answers suggests a work made for the mainstream, albeit within the niche category of films aimed primarily at gay audiences. Its big attraction lies in providing central roles for two very appealing, good-looking young men, Vasilis Magouliotis in the role of Victoras and Anton Weil as Mathias. It is Victoras who is seen first. He is at home in Greece where he has to arrange the funeral of his grandmother, the relative closest to him. We do hear a telephone call which he has with somebody called Angeliki and this conversation includes a mention of two other people, Patrick and Helga. However, no details emerge about any of them save for the fact that Angeliki being in Germany is not coming to the funeral. These opening scenes, notable for the sparseness of the dialogue, soon see Victoras travelling on a car ferry to Italy and it is here that he encounters Mathias who is German. The two then link up to take the road north together.
Very gradually The Man with the Answers grows into a love story between these two different as they are in personality as well as in nationality. That aspect is, however, the slowest of slow-burns and, similarly, although we gather that Victoras is headed for Germany to see Angeliki the film is halfway through before we discover who she is and learn more about Patrick and Helga. Incidents en route do occur but are minor while the growing rapport between Victoras and Mathias is portrayed affectionately but without any physical intimacy beyond a touch and a kiss. In the same vein when Angeliki (Stella Fyrogeni), Patrick (Marc Pistono) and Helga (Chiara Ore Visca) do come into the picture there is no big set-piece to provide a strong climax.
Eschewing all of the more familiar dramatic tropes that are virtually standard in gay cinema, The Man with the Answers may appeal to some audiences on account of taking that stance but it nevertheless comes across as a very modest piece. Travelling across Europe does take us through some fine scenery, but even that is not turned into a feature of real note. It is as though Kammitsis is seeking to create a vehicle which, positive in outlook, will simply give its audience the pleasure of looking at length at two appealing actors both of whom are very well cast. To see no need to offer more than that is almost daring in its simplicity, but if anyone can sell it, it is Magouliotis and Weil.
MANSEL STIMPSON
Cast: Vasilis Magouliotis, Anton Weil, Stella Fyrogeni, Marc Pistono, Mauro Racanti, Chiara Ore Visca, Pier Andrea Bosna, Maria Luce Latorre, Tia.
Dir Stelios Kammitsis, Pro Fenia Cossovitsa, Luca Legnani and Stelios Kammitsis, Screenplay Stelios Kammitsis, Ph Thodoros Mihopoulos, Art Dir Eva Goulakou, Ed Livia Neroutsopoulou, Music Francisco Cerassi, Costumes Alkisti Mamali.
9.99 Films/Asterisk*/Felony/Blonde-Peccadillo Pictures.
81 mins. Cyprus/Greece/Italy. 2021. Rel: 28 June 2021. No Cert.