Shuffling into town in low-budget Greek sandals is “Achilles’ Love,” an independent effort produced in Pittsburgh that bakes up a familiar recipe of romantic comedy, then adds a little lemon and oregano for taste.
The tale revolves around an unmarried Greek insurance agent named Achilles Mannis (Mather Zickel), who seems far too nice for such a bottom-line biz. (He inherited the position from his late dad.) After years of looking for love in all the wrong places, he believes he’s finally found the real deal in the shapely form of Lucy Boxwell (Claudia Besso), who manages a modern dance company and has had relationship headaches of her own.
As soon as they meet, cute, however, getting together for a cozy dinner of egg-lemon soup, there are complications involving Achilles’ smarmy and rich lawyer pal — co-writer and executive producer John Mouganis — who is also hot for Lucy; Lucy’s prima donna lead dancer (a very funny and believable Andre Kozlowski); and a Greek chorus of colorful old men who hang around the local taverna sipping ouzo and pontificating when they’re not out on the floor dancing Zorba-style.
Way too much of the film’s formulaic plot relies on coincidence, missed opportunities and idiot twists, those “insurmountable” dilemmas that could be resolved with a single line of explanation.
And many of the supporting characters lack subtlety or definition, especially a scheming co-worker as well as a kleptomaniac who plays a major role in the creation and resolution of the main problem.
But the young leads are quite appealing. The cinematography by Stephen Shank is crisp and clean. In addition, the soundtrack of Greek music by Emmanuel Kiriakou is appropriately bouzouki-mad.
As for director Meridith Cole, she does an admirable job of keeping the plates spinning, which is no mean task in a world in which plate-breaking is part of the cultural cachet.
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Playing at the Pickwick Theatre, 5 S. Prospect, Park Ridge. 847-604-2234. Running time: 1:30. No MPAA rating. Appropriate for older children. (star)(star)
