Two Tickets to Greece (2022)

(Les Cycalades)

Director/writer Marc Fitoussi’s tale of a pair of mismatched females on a journey through the Greek isles turns into a threesome two-thirds of the way through. As I watched the original pair of women, so unalike in temperament, the story of Zorba the Greek came to mind. In it a shy, inhibited Englishman named Basil partners with the free-spirited Zorba, the latter expressing his joy and his sorrow by dancing.

In the current film Blandine (Olivia Côte) is the female counterpart to Basil. She is the inhibited mother of the college-aged Benji (Alexandre Desrousseaux. She is moody, with few friends, and especially depressed because her husband, who dumped her two years ago for a younger woman, is about to become a father again. Benji tries various schemes to perk up his mom, but nothing works.

While the two are going through some old possessions stored away, Benji comes across some of his mom’s CDs. On the back of one is written the name Magalie, who, Blandine explains, was her best friend back in her school days in Paris. Their shared dream back then was to go together to Greece. They lost touch with each other after a falling out. Benji manages to track down Magalie (Laure Calamy) and sets up a reunion with her at a restaurant. His mother is very reluctant to go but gives in to Benji’s persuasion.

Magalie, as you have guessed, is the Zorba character—wild, irrepressible, and from Blandine’s perspective totally irresponsible. Although both are glad to see each other at first, Blandine can take only so much of her old friend’s behavior, so she leaves with the intention of never seeing her again. Over the next few days, she ignores Magalie’s phone calls.

Benji sets up a trip to Greece for himself and his mother to luxurious resort on a Greek isle, but at the last minute when it is too late for her to back out, he reveals that he has made out his ticket to Magalies. And of course, matters do not go well for this Odd Couple, with Magalies buying the wrong ferry tickets that get them kicked off the boat onto a remote island with few inhabitants except for some elderly archaeologists. Although this depresses Blandine, it hardly fazes her friend, who invades other people’s gatherings at the inn, even dancing on top of their table. There also discover some surfers the next day and a herd of goats that night.

The pair then wind up on still another island short of their destination where Magalie’s friend Bijou takes them in, and this is where the film takes a somewhat serious turn. And, we might add, becomes far more worth watching, with British actress Kristin Scott Thomas playing a middle-aged jewelry-maker living with Greek artist Dimitris (Panos Koronis). Although Bijou also is a free spirit, she is more grounded than Magalie. When she reveals that a test has turned up a mass in her chest, which she fears is the return of the cancer that took one of her breasts, Blandine rises to the occasion. Her profession has been as a radiation technician, so her knowledge, undergirded by compassion, serves to bolster her new friend’s confidence that she can face whatever the upcoming biopsy reveals.

There is more, but you can discover this for yourself. The scenery, of course, is absolutely gorgeous, and the acting of the three principals is impeccable—I was especially glad to see how much gravitas Kriston Scott Thomas adds to the film. The film is probably far too raunchy for a religious group to discuss, but for those who want to laugh and maybe reflect upon friendship will enjoy a film in which there are no car chases and battles upon which the future of the world depends.

This review will be in the August issue of VP along with a set of questions for reflection and/or discussion. If you have found reviews on this site helpful, please consider purchasing a subscription or individual issue in The Store.