Chevalier serves up six Greek men on a fishing and diving vacation, aboard a well-furnished yacht. They talk of the fish they caught and the ones that got away. At dinner, they quarrel over a little game, but soon they agree on another, bigger competition: They will judge one another for everything they do, and at the end of the trip they will total the scores; high scorer is The Best in General, and will get to wear a chevalier signet ring on his pinky to commemmorate the victory.
Ah, men.
To be clear, this is a comedy, and much of the humor is subtle, as the men start to question everything they do in consideration of how it will be scored by the others. Just what should I put in my coffee? What is the best sleeping position? And being tested for blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides seems downright unfair.
Not everything is so subtle; some of this film is ready-made for the inevitable American remake. There is the use of an erotic story and a cell phone camera to measure That Which Must Be Measured. There is a humiliating belch at dinner. And then there is the Oath of the Blood Brothers, a nice set-piece of physical comedy.
Usually I am cool toward contemporary Greek comedies, but this one I liked.
Chevalier (reviews)
Directed by Athina Rachel Tsangari
Written by Efthymis Filippou and Athina Rachel Tsangari
Language: Greek
Running time: 105 minutes
DVD release date: October 4, 2016
Second-Chance Cinema 