My Life in Ruins (2009)

I was really excited to see this movie after having loved My Big Fat Greek Wedding for so long. I was VERY happy with this movie! If you want to go on vacation, but don't have the money, I would suggest watching this movie! The comedy is great in it, although some of it can be a bit redundant and childish (bus drivers name is Poupi Kakas). Just like any other romantic comedy, it's pretty predictable, but who even cares! All romantic comedies have the same skeletal structure that make us giggle and smile in our seats! This movie seriously had me laughing out loud. You will honestly fall in love with Greece whether or not you've ever been there. Not to mention, you will fall in love with bus driver Poupi (Alexis Georgoulis), who is EXTREMELY hot! Definitely a movie worth renting, watching, and buying! I can't get enough of it! Another great movie from Nia Vardalos.

Fmovies: One of the problems about having a successful first film, is that people have high expectations of your next one. Such is the case with Nia Vardolos. even though it has been many years since i've seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, to this day, I still make a Windex joke whenever I can. My Life in Ruins has a long way to go, but in fairness, Vardolos did not script this one. She definitely should have. Overall, the movie is satisfied with being simply cute. It doesn't really bother to push the envelope and go for frisky or funny, which would have been nice.

Georgia is fed up with her job as a tour guide on a bus trip across mainland Greece. The tourists are never interested in her or the ancient ruins they visit (which she finds fascinating). On this latest tour. (which she plans to make her last) One of the people on board is a charming fellow American, a crone, who teaches her how to be a better guide, and a more fun person. As she gets better and better at her job with each stop, she learns more about the folks on board, including the strong-silent type driver, who to her surprise has long been in love with her.

The first problem with My Life in Ruins is obvious, it takes too long to get going. The first act in dedicated entirely to showing us how miserable Georgia is. After about fifteen minutes, we start to get the message. Vardolos, on another matter, is not even half as much fun as she was in Big Fat Greek Wedding. Even when she takes her clothes off in act three, her performance is quite stiff. Part of the problem, also has to do with a lack of character, another problem which may have been fixed if the script was hers.

My Life in Ruins, is certainly not in Ruins, but it doesn't go any further than being cute.

Has anyone seen the 1969 movie "If this is Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium?". " My life in Ruins"-what an excellent if corny title- is much the same theme. The film could have been serialised in Mad magazine. No, it is not a great movie but good light entertainment not to be taken seriously. I dwell in Greece and like Nia I am a Greek Canadian, we both speak Greek fluently enough but with a bad accent. I have never taken a bus tour in Greece but have Canadian friends who did and have told me of similar experiences as those shown in the movie. My one and only experience as a tourist on a bus full of Torontonians and Montrealers was in Mexcio in 1977 and it was pretty much the same. A crazy and life threatening driver called Pedro, a funny guide Pepe who realised we all wanted more humour than education about the Mexican ruins etc "Thees was where the thee pipi room was. You know, when the Aztecs they wanna make pipi". My Life in Ruins spares nobody be they Greek, American, Canadian, Spanish, British or Australian. I think it would be hard to appreciate the comedy for anyone who has never visited Greece or ever been part of a tourist bus group and laugh as much as I did. That's the thing about comedies, probably the most difficult of all movie genres; one has to relate to the situation and to the characters. I would put My Life in Ruins on a par with My Big Fat Greek Wedding (though not the later TV show which was a disaster).

My Life in Ruins fmovies. If you want to be happy, go See This Movie. I saw this film at a screening in San Diego and am so happy it is getting released this summer! It's funny, charming and above all, very romantic. It will definitely make you want to visit Greece but if you can't afford to travel, this movie is a great escape for about ten dollars. The scenery is amazing, and this movie made me laugh out loud. This sexy new movie star Alex G is amazing. Nia Vardalos is so perfect for this role. She and Alex G have great chemistry. And, Richard Dreyfuss is sly and sweet and Rachel Dratch is hilarious in anything she does. (little fact: She and Nia V worked at the comedy theater "The Second City", in Chicago together.) I left the theater with a smile, and wished there were more films like this out there. It's a great summer movie and a great date movie and just a fun time."

I attended a screening of MY LIFE IN RUINS and found it to be completely entertaining. I loved my BIG FAT Greek WEDDING and was excited to see this new movie made by some of the same people and with Nia Vardalos as the star. Nia has great comedic timing and she looks fantastic in this film. I think a lot of people can identify with feeling "out of whack" with life situations and it was enjoyable to live vicariously through Nia's character Georgia as she made breakthroughs in her love life and career. Some of the tour bus characters were a little kooky, but I think that played into Georgia's initial frustration with the job. By the end of the story, all of those crazy people had become likable and even lovable in the case of Richard Dreyfuss' character - I thought he was wonderful, too. And the bus driver cleaned up very nicely - he was downright hot by the end of the movie. The movie really is a perfect sales pitch for Greece. I felt the same way I did after seeing UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN and SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS - I wanted to book a vacation to a beautiful European country - and I would return to Greece in a heartbeat. Synopsis: watch this film if you want a vacation from all the depressing news about the economy, from your cold weather climate, from your own life stress... or if you just want a vacation, period!

For the past week it feels like Greece cannot stop talking about this film! I was lucky enough to be invited by a friend to the world premiere in Athens (am Greek-American, grew up in Baltimore, married here, so living in Athens for about five years.) The Premiere was an elegant occasion with a private reception with delicious food. The audience of about 1500 people went crazy for this film. They laughed and laughed and clapped and everyone I talked to said they wanted to see it again. This movie has captured the joy of life in this country I love. But just like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you don't have to be Greek to like it. It is such a funny movie and beautiful to look at. All the actors do a great job and Nia and Alexis are very romantic together. When they look at each other, you actually believe they're a couple (I know they're not!!) Just like with the first movie, I know Greeks can laugh at themselves (I was there, I heard them laughing like crazy!! Of course, there are always insecure people in this world but I think those type of people get offended by anything so who cares?) so I am sure the movie will do well here, and also in every country because it is a movie about tourists and traveling and being able to fall in love when you think there isn't a chance for you anymore. All I can say is, once again, Vardalos got it right."