Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
In The Summer with Carmen, two friends write a screenplay and reminisce about the summer one of them took care his ex-boyfriend’s dog, Carmen.
Demosthenes (Yorgos Tsiantoulasis) is on a clothing optional beach in Athens with his best friend, Nikitas (Andreas Lampropoulos). Nikitas, who is an aspiring film director, promised a producer that he would have a finished screenplay for him by the weekend and hasn’t written a word. Since Nikitas can’t think of a story for the script, Demosthenes suggests he write about the summer he spent with Carmen, which is also when he broke up with his boyfriend, Panos (Nikolas Mihas). And so, while working on the script, they relive the past.
Some Thoughts:
The Summer with Carmen is a sexy exploration into love and friendship. It takes place on a rocky, clothing optional beach in Greece, so it’s full of naked men hanging out and hooking up. For a story about writing, it’s well paced and manages to entertain with an amusing tale of romance gone wrong.
Tsiantoulasis and Lampropoulos work well together. Their friendship feels natural, as does their casual banter. When they talk about writing or screenplays, it never feels forced. And since they have acted together in the past, writing and movies are something they would discuss. It also helps that the film deals with creating a story and the desire to rewrite the past.
The film is very self-aware. It opens with a description of the story structure, so you know exactly what you’re getting. This also sets the tone of the story and the tongue-in-cheek feel, which makes it appealing to a larger audience than most art house fare. It’s also visually pleasing, with well framed shots that work well with its easy to digest story.
The Final Verdict:
The Summer with Carmen is a light, enjoyable film. It’s well crafted, flows beautifully, and is never dull.