Worlds Apart

Somewhat like Babel, the triptych film Worlds Apart by writer-director Christopher Papakaliatis seems to be made up of discrete, unrelated stories with disparate characters—until interconnecting threads begin to appear. The first third of the film, which is set in Athens against a backdrop of contemporary problems including a dissolving middle class and resentment towards Syrian refugees, concerns a sweet romance between a young Syrian immigrant (Tawfeek Barhom) and a local Greek girl (Niki Vakali) he rescues from an assault. Also in the mix—for reasons that will become clear over time—is a middle-age vigilante expressing his rage over Greece's economic collapse by bashing refugees in the dark, and mounting raids with fellow fascists on gathering spots for Syrians. The second story stars Papakaliatis himself as a department manager in a big corporation going through extreme downsizing. As his character watches colleagues dissolve into fear and even suicidal despair after being laid off, he embarks on a chilly extramarital affair with the Swedish executive (Andrea Osvárt) making all of those cuts. The final tale is of a German scholar (J.K. Simmons) who develops a friendship and romance with an unfulfilled wife and mother (Maria Kavoyianni) yearning for a second chance. As these narratives gradually roll into one, the film transcends its structural gimmick to capture the ripples of Greece's national crisis, which are felt in everything from the high price of cherry tomatoes to outright inhumanity. Recommended. (T. Keogh)