My Life In Ruins

I was curious about this film because I heard it featured Greece’s tourist spots, and I really want to go there sometime in the future as part of my European tour. Also, it’s the first film since the 1950’s to actually shoot at The Parthenon. Really.

My Life In Ruins is a story about Georgia (Nia Vardalos) who loves the country she grew up in, and wants to teach its rich history and culture, but instead is stuck in entertaining I-just-want-a-t-shirt misfit tourists around Greece. Did I mention she’s single, too? Okay, so she’s miserable until she meets old widowed tourist Irv (Richard Dreyfuss). “Been there, done that” is Irv, wise and true. Throughout the film, he inspired people on the tour to live life the way it should be, and for Georgia to find the most unexpected love of her life.

It’s not really a good film, but it brings a bunch of important life lessons the audience─old and young, man or woman, married or not, Greek, American or otherwise─can certainly pick up. I think the story itself fails as it mainly focuses on presenting Greece’s famous tourist spots (though I didn’t really see as much, or maybe it’s really worth seeing in person than in a movie) or the Greek way of life, and its sort-of-not-s0-preachy messages, and not really giving the story a polished finish.

Richard Dreyfus seems fit for his role, bringing subtle comedy to the screen. Nia Vardalos, well, she’s not too funny this time around compared to her role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. No other actor or character really shines here, not even Georgia’s love interest (who, by the way, it still some kind of a hotness... but not so much).

If you want to rediscover life’s real little treasures, you might find a thing or two in this movie that may strike a chord and put a tear of realization in your eyes. But other than that, it's less of a romantic approach to romance amidst Greece for a background, and it wasn't enough for the romantic comedy to survive.


My Life in Ruins gets four out ten, for having that smorgasbord of life’s important lessons even if it's lacking as a romcom.


*photo from allmoviephoto.com