First film by Greek Christos Massalas, Broadway bears the name of a huge disused place located in the heart of Athens (Berlin squat atmosphere, with theater stage and large concrete terrace) within which the destinies of Nelly, a young club dancer in disinheritance, and Markos will be tied , his toxic mentor.
Curious mismatch
If we feel the desires for cinema at the origin of Broadway – intertwining a queer love story with a cabaret aesthetic full of glitter, changing the somewhat shabby daily life of a band of misfits into a shimmering journey towards freedom – it must be said that the clumsy affectation with which the characters pretend living through the slightest of their acts is irritating enough. The staging which voluntarily highlights its effects at all times – hyperbolic music, programmatic voice-over, heavy gazes of meaning – seems in curious inadequacy with a story which did not require such pomp.
naive strokes of force
In fact, the best moments of the film are rather to be found on the side of an Almodovarian inspiration embodied by the character of Jona /Barbara, a fugitive transvestite to escape the local kingpin. Her love story with Nelly gives rise to some beautiful dance scenes which are also pick-pocketing sessions, before being overtaken by the awkwardness of a tragic scenario which multiplies the naive blows of force and the bloated emotions .