"Liebeskuss am Bosporus" is a German television movie from 2011 that runs for 90 minutes like most German small screen releases these days and it was directed and co-written by Berno Kürten. Must say I have not heard this name before I think although he has been active since the 80s already when he worked with Nena on a concert video apparently. But if this film is where he ended up quality-wise, then it is not too big a loss I would say and he has not been super prolific in recent years anyway. His three key actors here are Jasmin Gerat, Tim Bergmann and Tayfun Bademsoy. And this trio was maybe the key reason why I did not end up hating this movie. Gerat is an okay actress I'd say and maybe I am also a bit biased there because I think she is downright stunning, exactly my type. Tim Bergmann, however, I am usually not this big on admittedly and I am not sure if his turn here, very unusual playing a nerd, was just a parody or indeed good acting. And Bademsoy playing the female character's dad is okay overall, manages to elevate the material at times because his character is really not too well-written. Now the film does not exactly start on a high when we have the female main character catch her boyfriend in the act with another random girl. And as if this would not have been cringeworthy enough already, the bottle moment like the moment she sees her is so so bad with how the script told Gerat's character to say something like how she told her boyfriend that he should have taken out the bottles. At that point I certainly thought this film would be only 1 star out of 5. It does not get a lot better quickly when we have the plot twist how Bergmann's character's job is pretty much lost and how it is really ridiculous how he ends up in Istanbul and also hoer Gerat's character joins him. I mean the reason behind these developments. It felt clearly written and forced and for the sake of it and not authentic that it could really happen. And fate/coincidence cannot explain this to me honestly. And quite a while later, the moment with the money offer if he disappears out of the woman's life was not particularly creative either. This has been done many times and most of the time better than it was handled here.
So yeah, maybe I am being a bit too gentle on this film because I quite like Gerat (especially with long curly hair) I don't know. But that "special moment" scene at the beginning I liked kind of and when we see her at his door and how she is heartbroken, especially when he just talks about the money he owes her dad touch me a little bit. These are the moments that come to mind for me immediately. Most of the rest felt like filler material and certainly the screenplay here is a disappointment, especially looking at how long Kürten has been active in the industry and that shows that he just doesn't have too much writing talent that goes beyond German afternoon television. What I find even more shocking though is that apparently this film was big enough a success for a sequel to be made three years later because even with my biased Gerat fanboyism I just cannot really come up with any valid reason from any perspective why this film deserved a second movie, especially after they gave os the (of course) rushed happy ending. Oh yeah and the title is really disastruous no denying. Sounds like the worst Utta Danella and Rosamunde Pilcher have to offer, even if luckily the film turns out slightly better than they creations. Admittedly in the title's favor I want to say that it is a reference to the song used in this film, also during the closing credits and this is certainly to be taken with some tongue-in-cheek humor. Here and there they did not fail with the comedy in general. Like the reference by Gerat's character how she will get her brothers and buddies and do violent stuff to Bergmann's character was entertaining because it clearly wasn't meant seriously and just a fun little reference to the idea of a girl getting her brothers to protect her, a usually not serious running gag here in Germany. Still somehow I felt that Bergamnn's character and Gerat's were indeed too different and he was right with what he said with her at his door. So kinda tough to believe their romance had a happy ending. Or maybe it was just me because I wanted Gerat for myself. There was a lot not working for this film honestly, like also the conflict about the woman's studies and professions that may not be what her parents have in mind or how her ex suddenly shows up towards the end and wants her back. really more to entertain the simple-minded than truly make a dramatic impact. So yes, I think you should skip this film unfortunately. I give it a thumbs-down.
So yeah, maybe I am being a bit too gentle on this film because I quite like Gerat (especially with long curly hair) I don't know. But that "special moment" scene at the beginning I liked kind of and when we see her at his door and how she is heartbroken, especially when he just talks about the money he owes her dad touch me a little bit. These are the moments that come to mind for me immediately. Most of the rest felt like filler material and certainly the screenplay here is a disappointment, especially looking at how long Kürten has been active in the industry and that shows that he just doesn't have too much writing talent that goes beyond German afternoon television. What I find even more shocking though is that apparently this film was big enough a success for a sequel to be made three years later because even with my biased Gerat fanboyism I just cannot really come up with any valid reason from any perspective why this film deserved a second movie, especially after they gave os the (of course) rushed happy ending. Oh yeah and the title is really disastruous no denying. Sounds like the worst Utta Danella and Rosamunde Pilcher have to offer, even if luckily the film turns out slightly better than they creations. Admittedly in the title's favor I want to say that it is a reference to the song used in this film, also during the closing credits and this is certainly to be taken with some tongue-in-cheek humor. Here and there they did not fail with the comedy in general. Like the reference by Gerat's character how she will get her brothers and buddies and do violent stuff to Bergmann's character was entertaining because it clearly wasn't meant seriously and just a fun little reference to the idea of a girl getting her brothers to protect her, a usually not serious running gag here in Germany. Still somehow I felt that Bergamnn's character and Gerat's were indeed too different and he was right with what he said with her at his door. So kinda tough to believe their romance had a happy ending. Or maybe it was just me because I wanted Gerat for myself. There was a lot not working for this film honestly, like also the conflict about the woman's studies and professions that may not be what her parents have in mind or how her ex suddenly shows up towards the end and wants her back. really more to entertain the simple-minded than truly make a dramatic impact. So yes, I think you should skip this film unfortunately. I give it a thumbs-down.
