Bihter (2023) User Reviews

The fourth wall is crying, but it's crying for me.

[olcare · 3/10 · 18 November 2023]

Overall, I didn't like Bihter; if you ask what was bad about her, I think all elements in the movie were mediocre or very bad.

Firstly, I didn't like the casting choices, not just the selection of Bihter (Farah Zeynep Abdullah), but everyone was generally very bad. I did like Boran Kuzum; he seemed to take his role seriously. Especially Adnan Bey (Osman Sonant) was a disaster.

While I liked the costume designs, some costumes were strangely unnecessary, and I couldn't understand why. The exaggeration was spread throughout the movie, ruining the script while attempting to parody. Merve Göntem added another failure to the list; I haven't seen such a poorly written Turkish work in a long time. Completely rewriting it from scratch would have been much better. And I'm not comparing it to "Ask-i Memnu" like everyone else; they are different, but "Ask-i Memnu" had excellent cast choices and, at least for a TV series, was above average. This, on the other hand, is a complete disaster in terms of the script.

I also don't understand the poorly executed art of breaking the fourth wall, a technique we've seen done well recently. How could they not imagine that it shouldn't be used throughout the entire film? I couldn't believe how artificial and poorly it was used; Farah Z. Abdullah tried to play as if improvising in those scenes, but it comes in so randomly that I thought it was written while drunk.

My final criticism is Bihter's character development. It displays an incredibly poor development, first due to the aforementioned disastrous script choices and second due to the excessive rush. I don't understand why they were in such a hurry. A musical fast-paced narrative, quickly passing scenes - these are very poor choices for this production and Bihter's character development. I truly couldn't understand the rush; after all, it's not an action or superhero film or franchise. They could have let us breathe by slowing down the pace; it's really bad.

In short, a fiasco for me without making comparisons. I was expecting a completely different portrait, not just good character development. Not recommended.

Not fulfill the expectations

[grknkrbdk · 3/10 · 16 November 2023]

"Forbidden love" is a famous book written by Halid Ziya Usakligil. The book has many adaptation for cinema and tv. The most influencial adaptation was made as a tv series in 2008 and this movie (Forbidden love 2023) will be mainly compared with this series. When we consider the huge influence of Forbidden love 2008, it is almost impossible to criticize the movie without comparing it with the series. It is fair to say that Forbidden love 2008 is a beter adaptation of the book. Especially, the performance of the actors were worse. Even if we ignore the 2008 tv series, I dont think that none of actors performed a satisfactory performance except Farah Zeynep Abdullah. However, although she made a satisfactory performance unlike her collegues, she still could not reach the level of beren saat(Bihter in 2008 adaptation). As a resul, it is difficult to argue that the movie fulfills the expectations and satisfy its audience.

Just no

[berfinkiziltas · 3/10 · 18 November 2023]

It was like watching a group of kids performing a stage play.

Actors are very known and good ones but everything about this movie is a dissapointment. I thought this was going to be an original adaptation of the great novel by Halit Ziya Usakligil which also has a great place in Turkish literature. However, this is not quite as an adaptation, but a freak show. The characters are portayed very shallow and superficial, despite the fact that they're actually not. The internal conflicts and true emotions of the characters are completely ignored. Especially the character of Bihter is portrayed very poorly.

I don't recommend it AT ALL. For those who are actually interested in the story, I recommend you to watch the TV series for a modern adaptation, or the 70s movie adaptation for an original one.

It's a parody... but even that's not good...

[berkincelik88 · 1/10 · 18 November 2023]

It's a fleabag parody... Writer of the movie thinks she is so smart and edgy but no... it's bad, very bad... Maybe the worst Turkish movie in The history... watch the television show "Aski Memnu" it's 100 times more better.

Who the hell made this movie and why? So so bad and cringe.... Also disrespectful to original novel and it's author...

After I watch this movie, I dreamt about the machine from "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind" because I wanted to forget all about this film.

Whoever are the people made this movie, please don't make any other movies, you clearly don't understand anything about making movies.

Disappointing even for low expectations

[aisha-kurt · 2/10 · 17 November 2023]

As a crazed fan of the TV show, I watched this film with the lowest expectations, clear of any prejudice.

Sadly, the story telling and the need to tell the whole thing in a less-than-two-hours movie certainly was a poor choice, especially with Bihter constantly breaking the fourth wall (well, during the entire movie, almost) cheapens it all. I don't even mention the lack of detail in terms of the correct portrayal of the era, but I saw it as a conscious choice for the movie to look pleasant to internatinal viewers, rather than being factual.

Probably the only 'average' thing I could mention is cinematography. The rest is so sloppy, it was a total waste of my time. Plus, casting the very youthful Hande Ataizi for the role of Firdevs is just beyond my comprehension.

Theatre

[aycaf-622-223496 · 2/10 · 17 November 2023]

Knowing the 2 previous films/series and the performances, this one feels like a high school theatre. Characters hardly fit the role, mimics and acting skills are below average. The only fit is the time zone. May be it was too early to shoot the same movie where the previous one which was a great success is just one decade away. Bihter talking with the audience also takes away the seriousness. The acting is really poor. In summary, it was a great time loss despite all the expectations and PR. Now, we understand that Kivanc and Beren and all tge rest of the cast created a masterpiece 10 years ago.

cringe

[sevvalsenel-79907 · 1/10 · 18 November 2023]

Unsuccessful writer Merve Göntem did not surprise again...

The movie is well below expectations, full of disappointments.

Player choices are terrible.

Every scene is cringe.

The only thing I like about the movie is the touches of the art director...

About this movie, Beren Saat and F. Zeynep have often come across Zeynep's acting in the role of 'Bihter' being compared, but this is complete nonsense. Farah cannot be successful in any role but in this role, she proved that especially with this movie.

Boran Kuzum's and Farah's bad acting made our eyes bleed...

I think Amazon Prime should invest more in movies and end its agreement with Farah urgently, otherwise we will watch a lot of bad movies like this.

It doesn't deserve any positive reviews

[selmanbasgoze · 1/10 · 16 November 2023]

They certainly couldn't do what they were trying to do. We loved the Ask-i Memnu played by Kivanç and Beren so much that; this movie is not good at all. There will never be a Bihter character as good as Beren Saat. I've already understood this from the first minute I started watching the movie. But I still wanted to give it a chance. No scene is what I expected. Worse than I expected. Also, Firdevs in this movie does not look good at all. Firdevs, played by Nebahat Çehre, was much better. This criticism of mine has always been full of comparisons, but it was impossible not to compare with Ask-i Memnu, which was shot as a series.

Ask-i Memnu meets Fleabag

[bbaldji · 6/10 · 17 November 2023]

Just like the 1996 Romeo and Juliet you should not expect this one to follow the book by the letter. It has a nice, modern (very much "Fleabag" style) spin to it, keeps to the story and acting is okay, it's not a farce as some would claim.

While no other reviews have mentioned it, the soundtrack to the movie is quite good, music compliments nicely the scenes.

Cinematography is good too, nice camera angles and beautiful scenes.

Comparing to the 2008 series (which I haven't seen) might be unfair to this movie as it is a beautiful modern approach to a novel from the 19th century.

First review ever so be gentle.

Worst storyline ever

[zerdac · 1/10 · 18 November 2023]

I was not expecting a good job but not to this extent. Being someone knowing the original story, I can see that there is no story line, no character development, no nothing at all. The only thing I like is the costumes. They did a good job reflecting 1920s. However, the rest is just nonsense. For someone who does not know the original story, it is impossible to understand what is going on as the scenes jump from one to another without any logical sequence. Unfortunately, I felt like I was being tortured for 2 hours. And I was not the only one. Everybody watching it with me got bored and lost interest after the 20th minute. Sad to see a great story being so unprofessionally screenplayed.

Amazing

[gorkemfull · 8/10 · 23 November 2023]

I find it very surprising that this movie has received so much negative criticism! It presents a creative and mischievous reinvention of 'Ask-i Memnu,' featuring captivating colors, acting, costumes, decors, and storytelling. I particularly admire the development of Bihter's character-a powerful and colorful woman, both distinct and reminiscent of the original.

The portrayal of Firdevs, Bihter's mother, by the unexpectedly great choice, actress Hande Ataizi, is excellent. I highly recommend everyone to check out this film; it stands as a commendable example of creativity and innovation in cinema!

It's not that bad if you've bever watched the series

[risaddos · 7/10 · 26 November 2023]

I've never watched the series with Beren Saat(only some parts) so I can't compare this film with anyting(mostly). The actors, in my opinion, did great and the whole cinematography was satisfying to watch. Also, the costumes were very beatiful especially on Bihter. But the movie should've had less sex scenes :( it was just so unnecessary just like Bihter breaking the 4th wall. Maybe, the directors wanted to tell us something or to show something new but i didn't get it. The most disappointing was the ending when Bihter, unfortunately, didn't die like in the book and series. I mean, she was so broken when Behlül betrayed her and this whole marriage, when nobody was by her side so she just k!lled herself like it's the only way to feel free. However, in the film they made her a "girlboss" and she just walks away - it was frustrating, honestly.

But overall the film was good, especially for those who are not familiar with the original story and series.

My worst movie nominee for the 'Golden Raspberry Awards'

[syd_klhc · 1/10 · 18 November 2023]

During 2 hours, from the first scene to the last (which was a dreadful ending!), i thought i was watching a parody movie like "Scary Movie" or something. Even though the cast was consisted of adequately successful actors and actresses, every single acting in the movie was outstandingly bad. The directing, scenerio, production design, the scores (i mean the whole parts that compose a movie) were also awful. Maybe the costumes might not have been so bad but nobody could understand which era they reflect.

The original book "Forbidden Love" was well produced in two separate TV series -early 2000s and in 1970s- which i highly recommend to be watched instead of this ironic(!) nonsense.

What a Bad Remake

[ichyxo · 1/10 · 16 November 2023]

At the end of the novel, Bihter commits suicide, and Behlül manages to leave the house without being seen by anyone. Nihal and her father Adnan Bey return to their lonely but happy lives at the beginning of the novel. But they wrote a ridiculous ending in this movie!!!!

The movie started off well at first, while it progressed according to the book, they skipped some scenes, it quickly became a little confusing, and when it came to the last scene, they decided to focus on the last scene with the image of a strong woman, which is really a big disappointment... The series, the best Aski memnu!!!

DONT BOTHER

[mjk-81814 · 1/10 · 18 November 2023]

Garbage, the whole thing was pure disrespect to everyone that was involved in aski memnu, it felt like they were mocking beren's acting. The constant look into the camera every 5 minutes, we get it you're telling the audience a story but OVERDOING it, and it just makes it weird. You couldn't possibly feel anything for any characters, because there was no depth. There was just no need for this movie to be made in the first place, when we have the master piece aski memnu itself, and watching this was a waste of time Just save your precious time and go watch a movie thats actually worth it.......

No :(

[erhanipekciler · 1/10 · 16 November 2023]

AFTER COMMENTS OF FARAH ON SOCIAL MEDIA, MY RATING HAS CHANGED AS A 1. I DON'T WANNA SEE RUDE ACTOR OR ACTRESSES....

I am huge fan of Bihter, of course i watched Turkish series version and it was brilliant and still in my country later many many years, still number one. There was everything in it, fashion, wealthy, forbidden love, conspiracy... So in my opinion, this project was so risky from the beginning because in series there was a high standard, passing that not easy. Unfortunately Bihter was a little low for me. First of all, cast is not perfect choice. Every single person is qualified actors but they are not shining here.. Hande ataizi rocks as usual! She is a queen. Costumes are ok. We know the story but this is very close to original one, you can understand easily why Bihter made everything for Behlul, I think in series they missed this detail but here it is very obvious. Characterizations are not good because again wrong cast for me. Cinematography is not good only I loved picnic scene, it was like natura morta frame. I didn't like also farah's narration when looking at the camera, in comedy genre I love it because you can understand emotion transmission or emotional change easily but here it is annoying much! ( in my opinion only in 'Fleabag' that worked very well.) anyway I didn't like it but I don't want give 1 star. Watchable without any expectations.

Very bad

[gk-60866 · 1/10 · 18 November 2023]

Very very very bad. I haven't watched something this awful in a long time. There is no dialogue. Pointless scene transitions. Meaningless looking at the camera and talking. There is no emotion. If Beren watched the watch, he would be on the floor laughing. What a shame for all the effort. Besides, why would it be shot again if it doesn't give the same feelings? The cast is also terrible. Hande Ataizi does not suit the role at all. The costumes are beautiful. Farah is also very beautiful. But I'm sure the total of the dialogues is not 5 pages .I don't understand why Amazon Prime allows such a terrible production. Anyway, don't watch it, it sucks.

Unfortunately Waste of time and energy

[ChetX · 3/10 · 17 November 2023]

The movie has a big disadvantage to start with because of the very loved series adaptation from 2008. I think most people would still embrace a new adaptation for this famous book if this movie didn't turn out to be this hideous. The good things are costumes and decor and everything else is sort of a mess. The self narration is very unnecessary and is a concentration killer. Cast is not horrible but also not great but acting is very mediocre but I also think that the actors are not to blame for this. The script is weird, a lot happens so fast and there is no correlation between events and no emotion passes from the screen because of that. Bihter is not Bihter by the way she an overly playfull woman where originally she should be this cold distant woman. I think this could have been great if this was worked as a period drama even with this cast. I think manking this movie was waste of money and watching it was a waste of energy.

It's not actually that bad.

[xykatexy · 5/10 · 16 November 2023]

This movie has a big disadvantage: it is an adaptation of a novel that has already been very successfully adapted.

The novel, Aski Memnu (literal translation: Forbidden Love) by Halit ZIya Usakligil, has been adapted into a tv series of the same name, only modernised, in 2008. This series was iconic at its time: while the episodes were airing streets of Turkey were empty, and the two lead actors were literally catapulted into super-stardom after this series.

It is, therefore, not a surprise that any other adaptation receives less favorable reviews. This movie and the main actress have been dragged way more than they should have been even before the movie premiered. The movie actually takes on a slightly different stance on the story, focusing way more on Bihter than on any other character, and also putting the story in a different time period. I found this adaptation to be alright.

If I really have to compare it to the series, I do prefer the series. But I still think this movie is undeserving of such a low rating. I found the story to be well told, with the theatrical nature to it. The only thing I disliked was Bihter talking to the screen every so often. Usually I'm not opposed to alternative choices in movie-making, but here it somehow did not speak to me.

The movie removes the desperate Bihter: she still turns mad, but she takes her madness with her and embraces it fully, instead of drowning in her desperation (the novel and the series have this desperation approach). The ending scene with Bihter's red dress dragging behind her is so beautiful I had to rewatch it multiple times.

Overall: this is really not as bad as people are making it out to be. It encompasses all the topics very nicely and the costumes and scene design is very satisfying to the eye. The movie should, however, be considered separately from the series, because they do not have the same approach to the original material.

underrated purely because of fandom

[madeinsiy · 10/10 · 9 January 2024]

First of all, this movie is not a Fleabag parody. This is more like a Persuasion (2022) parody. I want to start by why I've given 10/10 to this series. Is it because it is 10/10? Hell noooo. But does Bihter deserve the hate it gets? Even bigger no.

People solely hate Bihter because of the 2008 Turkish tv series Ask-i Memnu. The tv series receiving the love they get is really interesting, it is one that exceeds the limits of actors, production, tv. People love it so much that they even got another shows (talk shows, movies etc) lead by original leads, one being a 2023 netflix movie (Last Call to Istanbul). But it also makes it really dangerous to have another adaptations. 2008 version was where they adapted the original novel to modern day Turkiye, may be the reason people felt really attached to it. Whereaes Bihter takes place in the 1920's, a bit closer to the original timeline.

Bihter here is a sassy character. She does get affected by other people and events but she doesnt get desperate or mad, she does turn kinda madder compared to the beginning. Which is not a big change to the character from novels as she was not a weak person. Her style of interacting with audience is more like how Anne (of Persuasion 2022 - ugh that, that was a disaster as she was no where near the character of Anne but that is a conversation of another topic) interacts. She doesnt treat audience as people in her mind, or friends like Fleabag does. She treats them as people following from another perspective, exactly as 4th invisible wall of the theater where people view behind. So yes, she knows we are watching and she explains things we didn't or will never be able to see, or hear. And she doesnt behave different than Bihter of the original book would in the given situations.

Therefore, fans of the TV Show, which there are sooooo many people, were not gonna like this one no matter how it turned out to be. Only solution for them to like is new adaptations where same actors portraying same characters.

As for Bihter, costumes are really chic, sets are really appealing to the eye, actors are fine, even though I didn't think Boran Kuzum would fit as Behlul, he was surprisingly nice. Other actors such as Osman Sonant (Adnan) Helin Kandemir (Nihal) or Ebru Ozkan (Matmazel) were also nice picks. Only one I could criticize would be Hande Ataizi as Firdevs but she doesn't stick out badly. And of course, Farah Zeynep is quite beautiful and chic as Bihter.

The adaptation sometimes felt like a play, but it still deserves at least 6 or 7 out of 10 overall. But I gave 10/10 just because of the unnecessary hate and critisms it received, hoping it could affect its score juuust a little.

Worst Movie Ever

[gulay-aydin1 · 1/10 · 16 November 2023]

OMG how is it possible to achieve this level of hideousness, boredom, inferiority? Acting, cast, costumes, music... everything is awful. It seems like a period movie, but it is hard to understand what period is that. Costumes vary from 1900 to 2020. Don't waste two hours with this dreadful movie. There is no continuance in the story. They did not build the story around the characters, all characters hang in the air.

Farah Zeynep is normally a gifted actress but here she is worse than all. Making her character talking to camera does not suit with the rest.

I didn't know whether I should feel sorry for the money spent on the movie or the two hours I spent watching it.

Underwhelming

[rawena_bll · 1/10 · 22 November 2023]

After watching the trailer I thought I was getting a well done period piece and a fresh take. However anything that is good about this film is already crammed into the trailer. I thought Farah Zeynep Abdullah could act, I guess not. Rest of the cast doesn't do a good job either. Disconnected, discombobulated, the story doesn't flow at all,the characters are almost unaware of each other. Fleabag had soul and technique. This film lacks both so breaking the 4th wall every other second is unnecessary and cringy. Don't do it if you can't do it well, please. I like the overall look, the color story being a tad too obvious, still it doesn't go beyond being a piece of eye candy without any notable substance. And if I want eye candy there are much more enjoyable and artfully crafted pieces out there, both foreign and Turkish. And the ending.. It was laughable, stripped the story from its peak.

Bihter doesn't provide anything beyond some catchy scenes that would fit better in a 5 minute music video setting where you don't follow an obvious story and bits and pieces of nice imagery is enough to accompany the music.

Why?

[duygueksi · 3/10 · 18 November 2023]

I gave 3 stars for the production.. It was lovely.. Having said that why waste all the time for a wonderful set,costumes,ext.. if you all mess the rest up? Wow! I couldn:t take it, skipped from scene to another.. Ask-I Memnu is a classical book written by Halit Ziya Usakligil, published in 1899. Adapted into tv series 2 times (1975,2008) I am not happy giving this negative review but come on! How did these film makers manage to ruin this beautiful story? Who thought this was a good script? How did everyone go along with it? Why? How can a 1975 production can be better than 2023's? It is! Sorry!

Cringefest

[ag-69664 · 1/10 · 20 November 2023]

I've never seen a worse movie in my life. Don't waste 2 hours watching this nonsense. Embarrassing and cringe... I wonder whether the directors and screenwriter are first-year college students or not. It shows the incapability of them. Hopefully, they will quit their jobs as soon as possible.

The performances of actresses and actors are also terrible.

I recommend you to read the original novel "Aski Memnu" or at least you can watch tv series which was adapted today (Beren Saat and Kivanc Tatlitug performed)

Briefly, if you wanna waste your 2 hours, it's a good choice to watch. It's also a good choice for making noise.

Fleabag

[zeynepdirier · 5/10 · 17 November 2023]

Costumes and filmography were amazing but the whole concept was copied from the TV show "Fleabag", which is really sad for a movie that could've been much more successful. Even though actings were good, the written "Bihter" character was too spoiled, which didn't make me feel like watching a "love" story. Nihal and Firdevs Hanim seemed much more realistic and the actors were also really successful. If I didn't watch Fleabag I could rate this movie way better since the scenes were so artistic and all the details made me feel like I'm living in 1900s. Maybe the reason why everything didn't feel realistic was the fact that they had to summarize the whole novel in a movie.