Papadopoulos & Sons (15) 109 mins ***
Playwright-turned-director
Marcus Markou’s debut is a cheerful, foursquare comedy-drama along East is East lines. Stephen Dillane – an
actor whose droll choices are always a pleasure to watch – gives it some class
as Harry Papadopoulos, the North London comestibles magnate obliged to downsize
when he discovers even an empire founded on taramasalata cannot survive a
double-dip recession; Georges Corraface brings the energy as Harry’s estranged
brother, who sees reopening a chippy as a way of securing the clan’s future.
Rivalry with a Turkish kebab shop follows – Markou isn’t beyond broad,
crowdpleasing tactics – but it’s set against a sincere exploration of the
brothers’ differences, and an ambitious attempt to rewrite Lear for laughter rather than tears. It’s something of a
throwback, but relaxed, sweet and funny with it: a first feature that makes an
impression by not pushing too hard to make an impression.
Papadopoulos & Sons is playing in selected cinemas.
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