A small Greek community becomes the center of a storm of sexual and financial double-dealing in this adult comedy. Magda (Nena Mendi) and her husband (Alexandros Antonopoulos) are the parents of two adult children -- handsome son Christos (Yannis Tsimitselis), who is studying at the local college, and less attractive daughter Giota (Jeannie Papadopoulou). Giota, who still lives in the family home, is married to Stelios (Alexis Georgoulis), while Christos has a significantly more interesting love
life -- while he has a girlfriend, Christos is also enjoying clandestine affairs with both his chemistry professor from school, Vicky (Maria Kavoyianni), and her spouse, Yorgos (Akylas Karazisis), a powerful local real estate developer. Giota and Stelios are keen on Magda selling some property she owns, which Yorgos wants to use for a fast-food franchise. This sale could mean a major windfall for the family, but Magda doesn't want to part with her land, which has been owned by her people for years and has great meaning for her. Stelios has learned about Christos' relationship with Yorgos, and he attempts to use this knowledge to extort Christos into helping change Magda's mind. But Stelios doesn't know that Christos has some ideas of his own about what makes for the best use of the land. Released in Greece in 2003, Oxygono (aka Oxygen) earned a belated American release in 2005 under the title Blackmail Boy. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
In definite need of a sea breeze to cool off its overheated characters, the Greek melodrama Blackmail Boy reaches for tragedy but settles for soap opera.
Toward the end, there's a delightful dream sequence, which shows that director-writers Michalis Reppas and Thanassis Papathanasiou aren't complete hacks. Perhaps they'll do better the next time out.
The hysteria is relentless: shrieking, punching, puking, trigger pulling. Overheard bits of inane party chatter provide the only moments of levity; otherwise the theater of cruelty slogs on with no cathartic release.
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