User Reviews

the feeling of the this movie really got me. what a pleasant surprise it was when i saw this quality movie instead of a classic Greek movie. city of Athens is shown at the season when the beauty is incomparable!an august evening in the heart of the city , in the heart of a deserted city , two complete strangers enjoy the night while scenes from a café are fulfilling the intention of the director to give his dimension of human relationships. funny , poetic , meditative , philosophical , sincere , real , touching , romantic .... all these could be said to characterize the movie but in no means it can be characterized as cheap ... it is a true spiritual effort ... . if you happen to watch that movie let it flow and let you drift inside it inside you!! i hope that you reno still smoke cheap smoke

Yes! Renos Haralambidis' work is always constructively destructive and enjoyable...

"Cheap Smokes" is another version of "No Budget Story" or "The Heart of the Beast".

Critics could say that he is repeating the narration of his life story (or the life story of a friend) but in my opinion he is demonstrating again his ability to cope with a low budget to produce a cinematography that is not cheap. I have seen the film 24 hours ago and I am still laughing with the picture of the face of the self blow-jobber's mother as entering into his room!

Congrats! I give an 8 out of 10 for "Cheap Smokes"

It is very odd not to consider this film unique and magnetic, if you have ever even once stop the time and think through the city's pulse. This movie is a poet about nameless dreams and stopping of time in order to cope with an anonymous city which nevertheless seems to have people with certain IDs. The staring character is an observer and yet a star in a bohemian "under"world. Charalambidis manage to express his out of time and out of place dream of life, a constant trip through a yet still city. It is not easy to make a movie without any touchable plot and not having eg Jean Pierre Leo in your team. The actors, the music, the sleeping city fit perfectly to the movie. If you have an intention of not reading a poem, prefering novels and secret meanings, don 't watch this movie. On the other hand if you want to know the people's thoughts and relations without any ID and special role watch the movie and you may find some dreams and thoughts of your inner self who wakes up when the city is asleep.

"Cheap Smokes" brought new standards in Greek film making! Excellent directing by Renos Haralambidis with a deep poetic view of Athens's modern life and outstanding performances by himself (as the main character) as well as by most of his co-stars! It made us take a wonderful journey through love, relationships, friendship and through a different site of Athens "by night"! A film that if it wasn't in Greek language it would certainly make a worldwide breakthrough! Haralambidis combines - in a strange way - Angellopoulos's cinema with American movies.

The film would be even better if there weren't some unfortunate cast choices, like Papacharalambous, who, even though camera loves her, her performance doesn't succeed in touching the depth of the other's. But she was one of the reasons, as a Greek TV star, that the film had a commercial success and at the same time critics loved it.

Haralambidis gave Greek cinema the prestige that was missing.

Restless and romantic Renos with a pinch of surrealism...

Renos as always tries for the best and I think that he managed it in this movie.It's a movie that makes you laugh but think deeply about several subjects that take place in our modern Greek society.All the actors who join this movie are excellent on their roles and I recommend you to see this interesting movie

This movie, for me, perfectly captures the subconscious (or conscious for some) surrealism that derives from actual realism. (if you know what I mean)

The movie perfectly captures how it feels to be in Athens in August. A barren place where every single thought is exaggerated and there is a smell of death and romance in the air. The music selection is perfect.

Being a Greek who is highly biased against Greek cinematography, this film acted as nostalgic beacon of what Greek cinema should be about.

Humour, romance, and surrealism in just the right amount needed for a great flick.

A masterpiece that you must see.

Haralambides, a beatnik-wannabe himself, has a first go at creating a film with beatnik connotations all around. Only it doesn't work out that well. The main character (you guessed it, Haralambides) takes a midnight stroll round the deserted streets of athens with a girl he meets by accident. In the process they hold a 'most mortifying cliche ever' contest by elaborating on matters of life, love, death, what have you, only to come to the conclusion that, well, she doesn't fancy him very much. All this is embellished with parallel storylines taken from the life of our hero (Haralambides, lest we forget) or nowhere in particular (as if anyone cares). The only (mildly) exciting bit in the entire film is Costas Tsakonas's performance (whose name by the way is not even mentioned in the credits). A terrible waste of time, money and talent (definitely not Haralambides's).

A movie that presents Greek life in a romantic way. Very low budget, very ambiguous story, yet an excellence. What cinema as an art should be. You can take away whatever you want from this film, but it for sure visually stunning in a looking from afar kind of way. Definetely crafted with passion and meraki. A must watch if you like indie cult films that show culture and romance of another time. Everyone who watched this movie loved it.

It is the kind of movie that will change a little bit how you view the world. The kind of movie that is just pure creation from someone's mind and soul. Buy a pack of the cheaper cigarettes you can find and lose yourself to 90s Athens' empty summer streets.

Cheap Smokes is a garbage, only for 20-year old non-cinephile people.

No meaning at all..