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Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Turkey. Show all posts

Thursday, May 12, 2016

Mustang (2015) France, Turkey

The clash of culture and modern lifestyle.






Genre:
Drama.


Length:
Approximately 8-minute read.


Review:
     This is a Turkish film with the Turkish cast and crew, but financially co-supported by France. So it was nominated for the 88th American Academy Awards to represent France, after the Turkish film board denied to pick it. The film is set in the rural that tells a story of five young orphaned sisters who were raised by their stereotype grandmother and strict uncle. It depicts how those girls grow up without the parental supervise which is more essential than under others care and challenges they face due to difference between modern lifestyle they want to adopt and old traditions they inherited.

     I know everybody comparing it with 'The Virgin Suicides' and so I thought the same because that's what everyone thinks who had watched these two films. There are some similarities between these two titles, but not the same film, that's very clear. Because of the cultural difference they slightly drew a different storyline, other than that the core of the story remained same. Written and directed by a woman filmmaker, so the narrative was very good that details the issues surrounding women. Especially about the impact of the lives when people nose into others affair.

     It opens when the five sisters were punished by their grandmother after the report came from their neighbour lady for them playing on the beach with the boys. Thereafter their life changes and day by day their happiness declines for the severely imposed rules against them in the house. Later, one after another, they all forced to marry the groom they have chosen for them in a traditional way. But the youngest among them all is the most rebellious, so when her sisters were enforced, she plans to fight back and that's the remaining story that tells what happens with the remaining sisters.

 I don't care about the match,
I want to get the hell out. 

     They say Turkey is more a Europe than the middle-east, except being an Islam nation. But this film briefs the domestic abuse in the name of culture and religion on the young generation. The truth is, there is an upcoming culture of the future among the youngsters of the human earthlings in the line of one planet, one culture. That is nothing, but getting themselves free from the thousands of years old rules. Obviously, in this advanced science and digital world, they're completely outdated, especially islam is struggling to cooperate with the future world. From that perspective, this film narrated a wonderful, an eye opening tale.

     I have heard the Turkish origins who had watched the film arguing about what it depicted is not true. I know that they know better than me on this, but what I want to tell is that any nation and its people go through this kind of cultural struggle/revolution. Especially in the remote places who are cut off from the modern lifestyle in their daily routine, and when the chief of the house is an elder person who is very conservative. Whatever the advanced country is Turkey among other islam countries, there's still the gender equality issue's persist due to the religion. Of course not the whole nation, but among the orthodox families. That's the same fate of other nations and its religion as well that has to change.

     I have seen many Turkish films and this was very different from those, especially it digs on the positive and negative impacts of the old cultural practice which questions is it really necessary to carry on in this modern world? I am not a religious person, and I have no problem with the people of faith, but my take on this might really irk them. The elders should give chance to choose what their youngsters want, of course with supervised, instead forcing them to do everything in the old way what they and their parents did decades and centuries ago.

     Yep, the film deserved it's Oscars nominee, but it did not win the prestigious award and that's okay because a better film bagged it. This director is going to have a great future in the filmdom, like the next Sofia Coppola. I hope her next work would be an international project. In the meantime, if you haven't seen it, give it a try, it is a good film that briefs in the line between the past and the future, there is present that ever exist where everything happens like the pains of the past, the present revolution and the future plan.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
The Virgin Suicides, The Bling Ring, Spring Breakers, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.


External link(s):
      


WCA geolocation:
Right now we're in

Friday, September 19, 2014

The Butterfly's Dream (2013) Turkey

A story of achievers whom vanished before the knows them.





Genre:
Biography, Drama, History, Romance.


Original title:
Kelebeğin Rüyasi (Turkish)


Review:
     A Turkish biographical drama selected to represent the country in the 86th Academy Awards and as we know it was not nominated. The 'Rhino Season' actor starred in a prominent role and directed the movie. This was not a based on the famous people, I don't know honesty, but it is only a my guess after seeing the movie.

     It is set in a small Turkish mining town around the time when the second world war was fought in Europe. It talks about two close friends Rustu and Muzaffer in their twenties who aspires to become poets. Craze about typewriters and their life depends on the poem they publish it in the book and weekly magazines. One day they meet a beautiful young women Suzan, daughter of a wealthy businessman and after that their life instantly change with lots of adventures and sorrow.

‘‘If a poet spends too long in a poetic setting
with a philistine, his poetry dries up.’’


     I loved the cast and performances. To see their act it was so real, a soul filling character representation. And then the fourth one called Mediha introduced when the story marched almost to the end, but she was good as well alongside the director himself as the fifth main role. The love story was very interesting, but can't say awesome, especially when it ends with a twist that was the moment in the narration peaks so high.

     So what's the wrong with the movie was, it did not strengthened exposing characters to the deep. Without initial development it moves on and on to the different set of places in the story. The romance portions were not quite delightful because the whole scenario related to that was like a friendship thing. But it had a reason that only comes out at the end that you have to wait until then.

     As from the literature perspective, it was one great inspiring biopic about two faded personalities from the history before the world knowing them. And as from romance and friendship side, it had different level of shades that one can go through in life, I mean like happiness, grief, adventures, survival, disloyal etc. One of the best Turkish movie so far I have seen. Those who are interested in biographical movies and literature should check it out, but remember it is about romance and friendship as well.



Similar movies:
The Last Samurai, 47 Ronin, Tom Yong Goong, Ip Man, Chocolate


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


External link(s):
HTML tutorial  HTML tutorial

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Rhino Season (2012) Iran | Turkey

The story of a man who is looking for his lost family.



Drama

Tagline:
False Kargadam (Farsi)


Review:
     It is obvious why Monica Bellucci was hired to play a prominent role in Bahman Ghobadi's latest flick. Local (middle-east) stars won't dare to show their skin in front of the camera, it may end in controversy like Lebanese skier caused controversy over topless photo during the Sochi winter Olympics. Though adding the major Italian star who is known very well to the world made the movie to strike stronger.

     I don't know I felt I knew this story well from somewhere. At least it looked very similar to other movies I had seen beside divergent characters. Like the movie 'Oldboy' this movie depicts an old man who was away for a long time who enters the familiar but changed society in search of his lost family.

     They say it was loosely based on the story of a real person, but I feel it is fiction because real people won't behave like the character from this movie. Anything might be possible, but this movie was lacking in either character or story development. The cinematography was awesome, it had a pleasant frame tone with greenish-gray.

     The director thought to bring more artistic effect by adding inappropriate scenes to the story. There are many scenes where viewers may respond in questions to those parts. In one of the scenes turtle rains and in another a wild rhino hit by a car. It goes on like that, like illusions during illustrate a person.

     It tells the story of a man who is affected by the 1979 Iranian revolution. Yeah, the same revolution that showed the movie 'Argo' but in a different perspective and character. Overall, it was not a movie that I was expecting from Bahman Ghobadi, but still it can be enjoyed by his fans.



Similar movies:
Oldboy, Birth, Changeling, Dirty Pretty Things, Revenge A Love Story


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

Rhino Season (2012) on IMDb


  • Tween: From age between 7 to 12
  • Teen: From age between 13 to 19
  • Adult: From age above 20
  • Ignore: Not worth watching
  • Bad: Not good but watchable
  • Average: 50-50, choice is always yours
  • Good: great certainly not masterpiece
  • Excellent: A must see, Masterpiece

Friday, October 18, 2013

Losers' Club (2011) Turkey

Hello, beloved listeners of Kent.



Comedy | Drama | Music | Romance

Original title:
Kaybedenler Kulubu (Turkish)


Review:
Based on the true story of the two Turkish radio jockeys (RJs) from the 90s, who are the talk of the late night. It was more like a Turkish version of 'The Boat that Rocked' but the thing was the radio station and programme were legal. I found the movie was a little slow in pace but deals with an interesting thematic plot.

The movie tells the story of Kaan and Mete, the radio show hosts. The two ordinary guys with a boring daily livelihood suddenly become colourful once theirs late night radio programme called 'Loser's Club' instantly becomes a hit. They become the celebrities as well as threats from the religious people. One of them finds his dream girl. Whatsoever they are not ready to change themselves to the current situation. They want left alone like everybody else, so what happens to their fame is the ending part of the movie.

Both the lead actors were executed simple performances but looked so powerful. The lead lady, called Zeynep, was also a good and looking cute. Most of the movie shot at the night time, I mean almost, so the light was used very wisely. The movie was simple as its look and complicated to get at first glance. One of a fine Turkish drama I have seen, quite resembles the quality and style of the German movie 'The Lives of Others'.


Similar movies:
Pirate Radio, The Lives of Others, Talk to Me, Private Parts


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

Losers' Club (2011) on IMDb


  • Tween: From age between 7 to 12
  • Teen: From age between 13 to 19
  • Adult: From age above 20
  • Ignore: Not worth watching
  • Bad: Not good but watchable
  • Average: 50-50, choice is always yours
  • Good: great certainly not masterpiece
  • Excellent: A must see, Masterpiece

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Mommo (2009) Turkey

Every second counts when you're protecting your beloved one.


Drama

Review: 
One of the best children's movie alongside hundreds of them I loved. Most of you are already could have seen Majid Majidi's 'Children of Heaven' and 'Children of Invention', this movie was kinda close to these two titles in brother-sister combo. Yes it was about two kids whose mother died very recently and their father got remarried to another woman who has a boy in the same age. Now these kids live in their old and widowed Grandfather's house who has been unable to protect them forever. So they should protect each others from outside world evil especially the elder one should take more responsibility.

The kids were cute, their performances were magnificent, to see their struggle will make us intolerable by our tendered heart. There were not any complicated story, it was very simple like daily life stuff that used to happen in a small place like this. The country was kinda dry but beautiful, the places were utilised very wisely for the story.

This movie might tell about two Turkish kids but there's no difference in the struggle in life for little kids whose parents are not there for them when they needed it badly. In other parts of the world even in improved countries, theirs remote places like this movie kids are suffering from the same issue. I had seen some of Turkish movies and this one was one of the best from them. A must see movie and highly recommended.


Similar movies:
Children of Invention, Children of Heaven, The Strength of Water, I Wish


Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent

Mommo (2009) on IMDb


  • Tween: From age between 7 to 12
  • Teen: From age between 13 to 19
  • Adult: From age above 20
  • Ignore: Not worth watching
  • Bad: Not good but watchable
  • Average: 50-50, choice is always yours
  • Good: great certainly not masterpiece
  • Excellent: A must see, Masterpiece