You might think this just might be one of those teen movies you would watch in North America. Think again. The themes of bullying, fitting in and adolescent sexuality are covered in “Sgt. Fruit Fly” but with a hard-edged Greek tinge that make the movie truly appealing to the 15 plus teenage crowd and adults. It was shot in Kalyvia and Athens the Kalyvia setting giving it an exotic feel or a very Greek feel if you are familiar with Attica in Greece.
Stanley Smith (Jamie Mayers) lives with Canadian mother Rosemary (Mara Marini), sister Elenora and dog Vincent in Kalyvia a small town. Stanley is ruthlessly bullied by the Dumbskis a trio of teens with an absent father and a less than attentive mother.
Poor Stanley rides a pink bike named Fruit Fly and with his army issued helmet he is named Sgt. Fruit Fly by the Dumbskis.
Stanley is rather taken in by the oversexed Nikoletta but it is the Goth Girl that has true non exploitative feelings for Stanley. Nikoletta has the moves, the body but is a user that promises to be Stanley’s girlfriend when he buys a fast car and turns over ownership of it to her.
Rosemary plays a Roma character telling fortunes, reading a crystal ball and making potions including a courage potion for Stanley as he is brutally pummeled by the Dumbskis.
Stanley works at a bowling alley club owned by the very strange Danny (Makis Papadimitriou) who abuses him. Papadimitriou showed his acting mettle in “Suntan” and in his role here shows he can pull off a comedic role. Nikoletta sleazes her way into a bartending job at the bowling alley. She is a bit of a “slut” as Rosemary refers to her as “just like her mother”.
The Dumbski’s decrepit father George has his children, yes his children, stage a robbery of Danny’s bowling alley and the horror-fairy tale begins. All is happy. Stanley is a hero and discovers his true love is with the Goth Girl.
What sets this film apart from North American “equivalents” is the vicious brutality of the Dumbskis and the fact that young teens are staging an armed heist. Leslie Dumbski (Niki Skiadaresi) is not a misguided teen but a vicious thug she conveys so convincingly. And Nikoletta (Stefania Champilomati) is indeed a teen reeking of shallow and exploitative sexuality and she does a superb and not overdone job of that. Kudos to Jamie Mayers for keeping the film centred and for that matter somewhat wholesome. The film is no Cinderella story but it is certainly no “Dusk Until Dawn”.
A refreshing teen movie but my thought it is suitable for 15 years of age and up. This is not sterile teen movie. It has an edge. Written and directed by Tommy King. Ahead of its time for the North American market.
Part of the 4th Annual Greek International Film Festival Tour (Canada) showing in theatres and on line 1-31Ocober2024 in 11 Canadian Cities.
You can watch the trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmkuNm_oGa4
I give this film a 90/100.
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