09/09/2024 - Antonis Tsonis blends US genre cinema with European arthouse sensibilities in a story exploring the interplay of ambition and redemption through a method actor who can’t live outside of a role

Greek-born, Australia-based filmmaker Antonis Tsonis is making his debut with the Athens-set drama Brando with a Glass Eye, a movie delving into themes of ambition, guilt, redemption, and the blurred lines between reality and performance. Premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and the Sofia International Film Festival, and now screend at the Greek Film Festival - Australia in Melbourne and Sydney, the film centres on young, struggling actor Luca (Yiannis Niarros), who receives life-changing news from a New York City acting academy. He has been accepted for a scholarship aimed at refining his acting skills. But the scholarship doesn’t cover living expenses, which poses a significant barrier for Luca who is barely making ends meet. Overwhelmed by the prospect of a transformative opportunity, Luca resolves to commit a heist to secure his future.

An ardent method actor inspired by Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, Luca convinces his brother Alekos (Kostas Nikouli) to help him pull off the heist, but Alekos is growing tired of Luca’s constant method acting, and in the most unnecessary situations too. Unfortunately, their plan fails, leaving a wounded victim in their wake. As the police investigation intensifies, Luca tries to remain inconspicuous while unexpectedly befriending their accidental victim, Ilias (Alexandros Chrysanthopoulos), and embarking on a quest for redemption.

Tsonis acknowledges the influence of Italian neorealism and French poetic realism, but Brando with a Glass Eye unfolds like a US-style film, set against the backdrop of Athens. This Greek setting accentuates the exploration of tragedy within the human condition. The evolving relationship between Luca and Ilias turns into a character study, contrasting the desperate actions of those on the brink of madness to achieve their dreams with the disillusionment of those suffocated by excessive wealth. As this unlikely friendship mirrors a modern-day The Prince and the Pauper, the connection between them, forged amidst secrecy and guilt, serves as a vessel for delving into wider themes of socio-economic stratification, redemption, and the transformative influence of art. The film’s Athens setting contrasts with the internal landscapes of the characters, reinforcing the film's exploration of external versus internal realities.

The director organically intertwines social drama with genre, and stylist shifts that span heist, film noir, police procedural, thriller, or family melodrama, while Jörg Gruber ensures the film's visuals maintain the crisp style of US independent cinema. Brando with a Glass Eye merges the vibe of US genre cinema with the sensibility of European art-house social realist drama into a functional hybrid movie. Tsonis employs method acting not only as a dramatic device and metaphor, but also as a formalist tool. By having the protagonist perpetually "in character", the film probes the fluid boundaries between art and life, the actor and their character, and between reality and imagination, playing with the viewer´s perception. While the film’s meta-cinematic approach manages to pay homage to the art of acting and classic cinema, it also serves as a channel for a variety of metaphors, including the quest for identity and the portrayal of a personality disorder. With a runtime of 122 minutes, Brando with a Glass Eye becomes not only a study of alienation but also of patience, with the erratic protagonist and his constructed (alter)egos unable to live outside of roles.

Brando with a Glass Eye is produced by Australia’s Ficino Films and Bronte Pictures with Greece’s Homemade Films, as well as the support of Australia’s The Post Lounge, Greece’s EKOME and the Greek Film Centre.