The Wake is the story of two brothers that re-unite after many years, thanks to a misfortune. Vangelis Mourikis (The King) is a cop that has committed an unspeakable act and has to get of of his country immediately. His brother (M. Tsourounakis) is a priest and wishes to live away from his family. The cop has only one night to find a way to leave the city and the priest is forced to help him.
The Wake is a night road movie, following the two brothers through the dirty city and depicting the change of their relationship within a few hours. They are symbols of power and religion but they are definitely no saints. Nikos Gramatikos once again depicts the darker sides of these symbols- make sure you watch his earlier film "O Vasilias".
"Greek Al Pacino" Vangelis Mourikis is always interesting to watch because he plays each one of his roles differently. He does not choose the easy way out. This film earned him one more acting award for his collection. It is a shame that Tsourounakis is nowhere as good as his co-star because his character is screaming for a better/more convincing/less stiff performance. His acting is very weak as he has the same facial expression throughout the whole film. The director of "I Psyhi Sto Stoma/Soul Kicking" Yianis Economides also has a brief role- he is such a natural and should be acting more often.
This is the first Greek film shot in HD and the results are notable. Gramatikos creates a few really beautiful long shots of boats and industrial areas in the opening sequences. Most of the film takes place at night, managing to create a suitable atmosphere, combined with the hand-held cinematography.
"Agrypnia" is a good film that could have been tighter/more intense in terms of story-telling. It also needed a stronger co-star next to Mourikis. But still, it is one of the most interesting Greek films of the last few years.
