Search - Touch of Spice (Dol) on DVD

Barbara B. (GrannyGamer) from KEIZER, OR
Reviewed on 9/7/2008...

PLEASE NOTE: there are several movies called Touch of Spice. The photo shown does NOT match the synopsis. The photo is of a Chinese relase of a Greek movie directed by Tassos Boulmetis.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

It just missed the right spice

Adriana Villanueva | Caracas, Miranda Venezuela | 02/25/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"If your list of favorites movies includes Life is beautiful, Cinema Paradiso and Il Postino; Touch of spice is the perfect movie for you: a over sentimental tale of a boy unable to find himself welcome in the two cities of his life: Istambul and Athens. A turk in Greece and a greek in Turkey, young Fanis can only find himself at home in the kitchen making the recipes that he learned from the women of his family, and from his dear grandfather, who teached him about spices while teaching him about the wonders of the universe.
A love story about a city, Istambul, the movie is a delight while young Fanis is a young boy: the family is loving and funny, and you can almost smell the cooking; but as he grows and turns into a middle age science wiz who can't forget not his childhood city, neither the beautiful girl he left behind; the movie becomes too mellow, too sweet, too predictable.
It just missed the right spice."

A nostalgic look at the point of origin.

Constantinos V. | Houston, TX USA | 12/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Fanis is a young Greek boy growing up in Istanbul, whose grandfather, who owns a grocery shop, teaches him that both food and life require a little salt to give them flavour. The scene were his grandfather makes a representation of the universe with different spices is inspirational cinematography.

You may say that Fanis' character is the alter ego of Tassos Boulmetis, the film's director, because much of the film is a reflection of his own life. His alter ego in the film is Fanis Iakovidis played by George Chorafas. He's a professor of astronomy at a Greek University. He lives in Palaio Faliro (a neighbourhood of Athens, by the sea, that has many people from Constantinople up to this day). An incident, namely another postponed arrival of his grandfather, provokes memories of growing up in Constantinople with his grandfather who had a spice shop.

When Fanis and his family are deported from Turkey because they are Greek citizens his grandfather and his young friend Saime are left behind. In Greece he and his family are seen as foreigners, not Greek at all. As a result Fanis builds his own world isolating himself, and on the meantime he expresses himself by cooking delicious meals.

I would also like to make a special reference to Fanis uncle Emilios, who is a sailor and he has traveled all over the world and he seems to be the most opened-minded person in the movie. A very well depicted character indeed.

The film becomes extremely interesting when Fanis returns to Constantinople and goes to the places he spent part of his childhood and also meets his first love. A great movie to watch, full of nostalgie giving an objective look in two countries (Greece and Turkey) that have so many historical differences yet they resemble so much.
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Touching, beautiful, emotional

Andreas Gregoriades | Cyprus | 12/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Touching, beautiful, emotional and deep while at the same time funny.
The story of two cities, Athens and Istanbul, is revolving around the habits and behavior of the Greeks living in Istanbul and moving to Greece to live there after some political turmoil in the 50s.
The story starts with young Fanis in Istanbul, his introduction to many aspects of life by his family either in the kitchen or in the spice stores of his grandfather and ends there many years later when the grandfather is dieing.
Through these years, Fanis became a professor of astronomy but never forgot his first love in Istanbul, a beautiful young Turkish neighbor and all the teaching by his grandfather.
The photography is exceptional captivating and makes you just ready to visit both cities.
This very same photography is full of symbolism with the camera moving freely into the space and the essence of the locations, capturing the binding elements of the two cities and the people.
The music is magnificent and again is able to identify common themes, sounds and tunes that link the two countries.
The kitchen is of course the centerpiece of the action.
Cooking is not just a necessity; it is the very essence of family gathering, decision-making, fun, challenge, and family life.
This film identified some strong similarities of both peoples and presented them in a wonderful emotional and realistic way.
Hospitality, the importance of the family, cooking and eating as a means of social and family strengthening, love and respect are all aspects that link the two people.
In fact, once we saw this film we started cooking a lot more dishes from the "Istanbul Cuisine" or as the title of the film in Greek is "Politiki Kouzina " which means just that.



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