In an era when most features are too long, and some directors seen incapable of telling the most ordinary stories at less than 2 hours, it's a delight to find a movie that actually benefits from its length. Hardly destined to set wickets whirring, by dint of its length, provenance and unflashy approach, this original, extremely clever movie nevertheless looks destined for exposure at major fests in the coming months, with limited upscale distribution possible in the wake of favorable reviews. After the locals have punctured his tires, he spends most of the time asleep under a tree, and the villagers, go out of their way to make him comfy by bringing him food. Then one day he spots something strange, runs after it, and ends up stung by bees.
Rains announce the arrival of the autumn.
It's only when the second section starts that Avdeliodis' larger plan comes into view. That night in a bar, the villagers silently sideline him when he gets drunk. The next day, while chasing after a mysterious tomboyish girl, he falls into a pool and disappears. But after joining an after-hours card game organised by a group of villagers, he ends up financially wiped out and arrested by the police for illicit gambling. Though, per production notes, pic is set in 1960, its first three sections can also be read as a commentary on the country's passage from the sleepy, traditional, 50's through the dictatorial rule of the of the military junta of the late '60s and '70s, to the suspicious reconciliation between people and state thereafter.