This film is largely misunderstood. And there are several reasons why, as there are several reasons why nobody should hesitate to watch it.
Safe Sex is pretty famous for being the largest box office hit in the history of greek cinema when it was released, back in 1999. It came along with a sort of cultural revolution, in the sense that it popularised greek films with greek audiences, who did not wholly appreciate the style and art behind Theo Angelopoulos' work, perhaps the only Greek director highly regarded on an international level at the time (as of 2020, Lanthimos is doing impressively well himself). It was a huge hit with the audiences (for the wrong reasons, mind you, specifically the foul language and the sex - humour had something to do with it), but the critiques were relentlessly vitriolic. Safe Sex was accused of being badly written, TV-like and of poor taste. Out of those aspects, merely the TV one is valid - the rest claims were and still are merely a result of short sightedness, "puritanism" and a generally misdirected disdain towards mainstream comedy and a distorted sense of "culture". Also, Safe Sex started a brand of greek comedy that relied heavily on sex and neurotic characters - the movies and TV shows that followed it however did not by any means execute such well constructed character studies, neither did they embed tasteful humour. So Safe Sex itself shouldn't at all be maligned by its successors. This comedy is brilliant.
There is indeed a made-for-TV sense in the film, but honestly it is quite trivial and very subjective. I can understand why some people think it is too TV like, but I thought the directors' approach, the mise-en-scene, it was all very well done. Mainly, the shots are taken from a distance and there is an absence of close ups or any special attention to the characters. This may ring "television" to some viewers, personally it ringed "distance". There is a certain coldness to the approach, Safe Sex is not interested in having us immerse, but, instead, view the characters objectively, study them. It reminded a little bit of theatre, a sort of Brecht like distance (and, oh, aren't there similarities with Brecht's social satire). Let's say, Godard's Tout Va Bien, only this is a comedy, and not French New Wave-ish or a masterpiece - still, it is exceptional. Perhaps I'm giving too much credit to the creators but, hey, I'm here to evaluate the end result, not the intention.
As of the humour, it isn't exactly British, nor is it subtle. On the contrary, at times it's vulgar. But it is perfectly effective. It gets laughs from most people, very all encompassing. It is also a very brave picture, and it doesn't shy away from showing us homosexual attraction or intercourse. The gay couples are treated in precisely the same manner as the straight ones. That may sound as not such a big deal, but on the terms of the inappropriately conservative Greek society, it is.
Now, let's get to the REAL strengths of Safe Sex, that everyone seems to ignore. The writing. The writing is just - it's brilliant. I was in all honesty mind-blown, I didn't expect anything like this. The film is an ensemble, with typically intertwining storylines, as it was quite popular back in the 90's, with Magnolia being a prime example. The stories of each character intertwine wonderfully, until, you guessed it, they are all ultimately connected to one another. And the structure is crystal clear - the viewer is in a position to understand the plot. So, on that front, well executed.
And then the CHARACTER STUDIES. Brilliance. The trick behind its brilliance is that there is an underlying tragedy. Each and every character is tragic and impeccably so. Tragic, perhaps even unhappy, most of them. And it is played for laughs, as in every good comedy. The middle aged scorned woman who wastes her life away fantasising about her favourite soap opera character, the playboy who uses sex and women to fill the void of an empty heart, the closeted gay guy who's not in terms with himself and nor are his friends, the insecure woman who finds solace through having phone sex with a stranger (and then real sex - yes, Safe Sex did that before Valentine's Day), the well-to-do doctor who has an affair with the needy love-deprived sister of his controlling and overbearing wife, the 50-something neurotic "cultured" lady, tragically unable to reach an orgasm, the young woman who seeks validation in every other man, the depressed artist who's emotionally dependent on his pragmatist girlfriend, the sociologist writer who's actually.... Well I can't keep going like this, but it is a shocker, the ending. All the characters are impressively fleshed out. It is almost hard to believe, considering the size of the cast, but each and every character is fully incarnated up there on the screen. It's almost as if you've met all of them before. Real people with real problems, which, by the end of the film, are apparent to any careful viewer. In that sense, Safe Sex is in fact reminiscent of Woody Allen movies, with less style and different humour, but the writing is definitely there. I cannot understand the description of the characters as one dimensional - it is outrageous. Anyone who finds the writing one dimensional has clearly not been paying attention. And as if the pitch perfect characterisation wasn't enough, it is all to express a surprisingly existential message: sex defines human lives. The movies are obviously not on the same level, but the message reminds us of the central idea in Eyes Wide Shut. In Safe Sex, then, we get to see that all people ever think of is sex in reality, and all of our behaviour is determined by it. It even decides on life and death, and Safe Sex doesn't hesitate to get very, VERY morbid at times. Exceptionally Freudian is what I would call it. Both the prominence of sex in our lives and its connection to death.
I self-identify as a cinephile, and I adored this film. I thought it was terrific with regards to most, if not all aspects. I like to think I can (and should) appreciate everything of value, so whether it is Tarkovsky, Bergman, Woody, Hawkes - it doesn't matter. This film is definitely, definitely worth your time. Just watch it with an open, OBSERVANT mind, and you'll see its strengths. I highly recommend it.
Safe Sex is pretty famous for being the largest box office hit in the history of greek cinema when it was released, back in 1999. It came along with a sort of cultural revolution, in the sense that it popularised greek films with greek audiences, who did not wholly appreciate the style and art behind Theo Angelopoulos' work, perhaps the only Greek director highly regarded on an international level at the time (as of 2020, Lanthimos is doing impressively well himself). It was a huge hit with the audiences (for the wrong reasons, mind you, specifically the foul language and the sex - humour had something to do with it), but the critiques were relentlessly vitriolic. Safe Sex was accused of being badly written, TV-like and of poor taste. Out of those aspects, merely the TV one is valid - the rest claims were and still are merely a result of short sightedness, "puritanism" and a generally misdirected disdain towards mainstream comedy and a distorted sense of "culture". Also, Safe Sex started a brand of greek comedy that relied heavily on sex and neurotic characters - the movies and TV shows that followed it however did not by any means execute such well constructed character studies, neither did they embed tasteful humour. So Safe Sex itself shouldn't at all be maligned by its successors. This comedy is brilliant.
There is indeed a made-for-TV sense in the film, but honestly it is quite trivial and very subjective. I can understand why some people think it is too TV like, but I thought the directors' approach, the mise-en-scene, it was all very well done. Mainly, the shots are taken from a distance and there is an absence of close ups or any special attention to the characters. This may ring "television" to some viewers, personally it ringed "distance". There is a certain coldness to the approach, Safe Sex is not interested in having us immerse, but, instead, view the characters objectively, study them. It reminded a little bit of theatre, a sort of Brecht like distance (and, oh, aren't there similarities with Brecht's social satire). Let's say, Godard's Tout Va Bien, only this is a comedy, and not French New Wave-ish or a masterpiece - still, it is exceptional. Perhaps I'm giving too much credit to the creators but, hey, I'm here to evaluate the end result, not the intention.
As of the humour, it isn't exactly British, nor is it subtle. On the contrary, at times it's vulgar. But it is perfectly effective. It gets laughs from most people, very all encompassing. It is also a very brave picture, and it doesn't shy away from showing us homosexual attraction or intercourse. The gay couples are treated in precisely the same manner as the straight ones. That may sound as not such a big deal, but on the terms of the inappropriately conservative Greek society, it is.
Now, let's get to the REAL strengths of Safe Sex, that everyone seems to ignore. The writing. The writing is just - it's brilliant. I was in all honesty mind-blown, I didn't expect anything like this. The film is an ensemble, with typically intertwining storylines, as it was quite popular back in the 90's, with Magnolia being a prime example. The stories of each character intertwine wonderfully, until, you guessed it, they are all ultimately connected to one another. And the structure is crystal clear - the viewer is in a position to understand the plot. So, on that front, well executed.
And then the CHARACTER STUDIES. Brilliance. The trick behind its brilliance is that there is an underlying tragedy. Each and every character is tragic and impeccably so. Tragic, perhaps even unhappy, most of them. And it is played for laughs, as in every good comedy. The middle aged scorned woman who wastes her life away fantasising about her favourite soap opera character, the playboy who uses sex and women to fill the void of an empty heart, the closeted gay guy who's not in terms with himself and nor are his friends, the insecure woman who finds solace through having phone sex with a stranger (and then real sex - yes, Safe Sex did that before Valentine's Day), the well-to-do doctor who has an affair with the needy love-deprived sister of his controlling and overbearing wife, the 50-something neurotic "cultured" lady, tragically unable to reach an orgasm, the young woman who seeks validation in every other man, the depressed artist who's emotionally dependent on his pragmatist girlfriend, the sociologist writer who's actually.... Well I can't keep going like this, but it is a shocker, the ending. All the characters are impressively fleshed out. It is almost hard to believe, considering the size of the cast, but each and every character is fully incarnated up there on the screen. It's almost as if you've met all of them before. Real people with real problems, which, by the end of the film, are apparent to any careful viewer. In that sense, Safe Sex is in fact reminiscent of Woody Allen movies, with less style and different humour, but the writing is definitely there. I cannot understand the description of the characters as one dimensional - it is outrageous. Anyone who finds the writing one dimensional has clearly not been paying attention. And as if the pitch perfect characterisation wasn't enough, it is all to express a surprisingly existential message: sex defines human lives. The movies are obviously not on the same level, but the message reminds us of the central idea in Eyes Wide Shut. In Safe Sex, then, we get to see that all people ever think of is sex in reality, and all of our behaviour is determined by it. It even decides on life and death, and Safe Sex doesn't hesitate to get very, VERY morbid at times. Exceptionally Freudian is what I would call it. Both the prominence of sex in our lives and its connection to death.
I self-identify as a cinephile, and I adored this film. I thought it was terrific with regards to most, if not all aspects. I like to think I can (and should) appreciate everything of value, so whether it is Tarkovsky, Bergman, Woody, Hawkes - it doesn't matter. This film is definitely, definitely worth your time. Just watch it with an open, OBSERVANT mind, and you'll see its strengths. I highly recommend it.