Sun Herald, October 9, 2005

Brides

Rated: PG

Starring: Victoria Haralabidou, Damian Lewis, Steven Berkoff.

Critic's warning: Occasional language, sexual references, adult themes, nudity.

Critic's rating: 6/10

Thanks to a luminous performance from its lead female actor, the new subtitled Greek period piece Brides overcomes a stalled pace to deliver mildly engaging drama.

Haralabidou plays Niki, the seamstress daughter of a poor Greek family. In 1922, she becomes one of 700 mail order brides en route to America, to marry a man she has never met. Also on board are 70 Russians, some as young as 16, under the malevolent control of an entrepreneur-cum-pimp (theatre actor Berkoff, with fruity fake-Georgian accent).

Niki is resigned to her future life -- until she meets American photographer Norman (Lewis). After his images of the Turkish-Greek war were judged too "artistic", he has given up his career and is returning home, to his wife.

Lewis, the red-headed star of fine television series such as Band Of Brothers and The Forsyte Saga, is an affectionate foil for the truly likeable Haralabidou. Their rapport sustains the over-long movie through unfortunately lumpy mid-section melodrama.

The generally overwrought support performances don't help already ill-defined characters; too many conversations feel like speeches.

Exquisite photography maintains the interest -- armchair travellers will want more dramatic Greek scenery -- as does the mix of classi orchestral music with stirring Greek folk-music riffs. It was notable that one well-attended screening in Sydney's inner west provoked approving murmurs and shocked gasps from an obviously involved audience.

Caption: Brides in bunks: Victoria Haralabidou and Evi Saoulidou.