Eteros Ego is the story of Dimitris Lainis, a criminologist who is asked to help the police with the case of a serial killer who leaves behind quotes of Pythagoras. Rarely do we see a Greek movie like this one, but I won't go too soft on it just because of this fact. So, is Eteros Ego really worth your time?
Let's begin with the pros. Before watching, I was expecting a completely story-driven movie. However, I was happy to realize that the movie is not just about an intriguing criminal case and how it was solved, but also about how it affects our protagonist combined with some personal problems. In fact, it's more about the second one. And that wouldn't work unless Dimitris' character was so well- fleshed out. That's thanks to Pigmalion Dadakaridis's performance and careful direction which explains his character through visual details. What also kept me engaged was the sense of danger. It was clear that the killer was intelligent and careful, but the direction offered us some really intense scenes. The cinematography was also pretty good. Just by a few specific takes you can tell that a considerable amount of effort was put. I said I don't want to go too soft on it just because it's a Greek crime movie but I can't help being amazed by the Hollywood- level make-up. Major props to the make-up team! However, the movie has also a few weaknesses. The first complaint I have is related to the characters. While all the performances are generally OK or good, the problem comes from the script. At some points dialogue sounds unnatural, but, at least, it doesn't happen too much. My main problem is about the police lieutenant, who is clearly there just to ask the questions we the audience need to know. Apart from that he is kind of useless and the least interesting character. Finally, I found the ending somewhat forced. At first I was really surprised, but then I found myself not being so emotionally invested as I was hoping to.
Final verdict: Eteros Ego is actually worth your time. Even if you like the ending or not, Dimitris is an interesting character in an interesting story told through some good direction.
