Two Tickets To Greece – REVIEW

Two Tickets To Greece was the number one box office hit at the French Film Festival in Sydney earlier this year and justifyingly so.

Magalie (Laure Calamy) and Blandine (Olivia Cote) were best buddies at school until they had a falling out over the affections of a young boy. Fast forward 30 years and Blandine’s son organizes a meeting between the two, as he feels that his mother is suffering from depression owing to her recent divorce.

They try to relive a pact they made as kids – to journey on a holiday to Amorgos, the exotic island in Greece which was the filming location for the classic movie The Big Blue. But they encounter many problems, never quite managing to reach the destination they want to visit and experience many hilarious misadventures along the way. Blandine utters to Magalie in disdain, “Your bullshit got us into this trouble!”

Magalie is a free loader, vivacious, fun loving, lives dangerously and is always the life of the party. She believes that nothing is a problem and that  everything is always fine regardless of the mess she gets her friends into.

Blandine is still healing from her recent divorce and is reserved, something of a ‘goody-two-shoes’, despondent and somewhat two-minded about this rekindled friendship, quietly believing that Magalie is a ‘nut job’.

They have two weeks to patch things up or kill one another. Was the vacation a good idea? Will this attempt at reconciliation and reconnection be therapeutic after so many years of estrangement? Ultimately can people change?

This French speaking comedy boasts picturesque locations throughout Greece and explores the awkwardness of renewed friendships and about giving friendship another chance.

What is obvious from watching this movie is that both actresses had an enjoyable time during filming, especially Laure Calamy who portrays a character whose personality reportedly isn’t very different to her own.

Audiences should warm to her very quickly, enjoying every moment that she graces the screen with her infectious smile, laughter, and her remarkable ability to bring chaos to their ‘forget-it-all holiday’. She is the standout and the main reason why this comedy is such a joy to watch.

★★★1/2

In Cinemas Boxing Day