Apples really provided a tense movie-going experience to return to. Having taken my seat in the middle of Curzon Victoria Screen 3 for the screening, others slowly flooded in (without their noisy snacks) and a couple of old folks sat in the row in front of me. I was texting someone at this point, and one of the old fellas was getting a little bit annoyed, no doubt wondering whether this oik would turn off his phone (Yes, when the trailers started). For reference, we’ll call this guy A4, because of his seat number. Anyway, I keep on texting in excitement about my return, but I must say this story is not about me for ten minutes later, in come a couple of others, ready to sit behind me. However, they don’t have face coverings, but do have the lanyards. Ultimately, whether someone has a face covering doesn’t really bother me, in fact I didn’t notice that C6 & C7 didn’t (For the record, I’m B4). However, it was a big enough deal for our friend A4, who said with such indignation “I assume you’ll be wearing your masks” to our row C dwelling indiciduals. Note how I use a full stop in the this instead of a question mark. This is the sort of guy A4 is, straight in there with no craps given. Anyway, C6 & C7 are rather upset and say no, they have their lanyards. This should be this, A4 is suitably embarrassed and sits quietly, while C6 & C7 rise above this petty point scoring attempt at sticking the nose in the other guy’s business.

But no, C7 just needs to make one comment doesn’t he. “My mummy told me not to talk to strange men” as he walks way. Now he was near me, so maybe it was quiet. No, it wasn’t quiet. C7 was suitably pissed off and retaliated and this meant war. Within 30 seconds, A4 was saying to A3, again far too loudly to not be heard, “Them being in here without masks is risking my life”. Trust me, A4, you’re old enough to have been vaccinated and with a nose that size it needs to interfere with everyone else, I guarantee it’s not sticking in your mask either. C7 goes on to jibe loudly about how A3 & A4 shouldn’t be sat next to one another as they’re not in the same households. Again, dude be the bigger man. But no, this is pension warfare.

The ill feeling was palpable in the cinema as there were loud remarks after loud remarks. This truly was the popcorn moment. Did A4 & C7 not read my piece about the truce from last night? Is this what it is like when I fight SurbitonRebelWilsonFanClub? Either way, regardless of your opinion on the situation, it’s nice to know that for once, I wasn’t the biggest pillock in the cinema.

Now for the movie…

It seems appropriate that the first film I see in the cinemas of 2021 takes place during a pandemic. However, this is no ordinary pandemic. In this dystopian undefined era of Greece, people are getting random bouts of amnesia, which are unexplainable. The lead character (Aris according to IMDB) is a victim of this within the first ten minutes. He has a problem though. He has no ID and no family comes to get him, meaning he has to re-assimilate into society, completing increasingly specific and complex tasks given to him by doctors to become a fully functioning person. We know nothing about him or his past, only that he really likes eating apples. During this time, he meets a girl, Anna, who also has amnesiaand they start to bond as they go through this process together.

The film plays off like a dark comedy, with a few amusing moments interspersed. It’s very dry, much like fellow Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Lobster, albeit without such sharp claws. It’s accessible, but is very understated in its performances and it’s writing. Thematically the whole film is smart as well, putting value on what people remember, with those around Aris valuing his photos of his experiences as he must take photos of them. However, the film takes a more tender route as it goes on and becomes a deeper, much more profound film.

The actor and director do a good job of helping you care about this character, despite the mysteries around him. He is a clean slate and despite what his past may have been, you support him in achieving his goals. The storytelling as a whole is great as well. It uses a show don’t tell way of saying what’s happening, with small background details showing you the scale of this epidemic, but not saying that it is an epidemic. The reason the film sticks out is that you don’t have just one character with amnesia, but many. As the film goes on, we understand more about the character, although I worked out where the film was going fairly early on. I wish I hadn’t because a re-watch would’ve been so much more interesting.

The whole film is low budget, with very natural grey lighting. The soundtrack is understated and effective and the whole film was put together really tightly. The 4:3 aspect ratio shows a man closed into his small world with no knowledge of anyone or anything outside of it.

Summary

A quirky, dark comedy from which you get a tender emotional piece of cinema, Apples offers an intriguing and alternative choice of film to see on the big screen. Christos Nikou is in full control of the film as we watch a lone man with amnesia come to terms with his place in the world. [Grade: B]

Apples is available at the cinema or on Curzon Home Cinema

So we started on a sour note and I thought I would end on an upbeat note. When I got home, I saw one of my housemates and started talking to him about the film I watched. I didn’t think it would be interesting to him, however he is Greek. As soon as he heard a Greek film was playing at the cinemas, he was immediately interested. I enjoy international films, but sometimes you forget how important it is and how warm it is for the people from those countries to see their countries voice represented in this country, especially on a big screen.