mahoenders Reviews

The Edge of Heaven (2007)

People are more alike than they often realize

[9/10 · 3 March 2008]

Faith Akin, renowned for his energetic movie 'Gegen die Wand', brings another story about the Turkish-German community. The movie focuses on three families who are all connected in some way. In a beautiful way Akin shows the struggle of a Turkish prostitute, a professor of German literature, a young Turkish rebel, a student English and Spanish and a retired widower to find peace and happiness in their lives. Akin manages to avoid the many pitfalls which can lead to clichés. The characters remain just ordinary people with genuine emotions and problems. The movie also depicts the impact of globalization and multiculturalism in nowadays Germany and Turkey. It's the most debated topic of our time. To what extent do we want newcomers to adapt to their new surroundings and to what extent do we accept them to cherish their own cultural heritage. In an even broader perspective, it deals with the clash between the Islamic and western world. 'Auf der anderen Seite', which means on the other side, shows how Turkish immigrants come to love their new country, Germany, without losing their Turkish roots. I think Akin invites us to try and imagine the backgrounds of people, so there will be less misunderstanding. This view is symbolized by Lotte, a German student, who decides to help Ayten, a Turkish political activist who fled Turkey. She doesn't know the Turkish girl but just wants to help her, because the girl has nowhere to go. This quest even brings her to the shores of Istanbul, a city where East meets West in the most literal way.

In the end, 'Auf der anderen Seite' is a story of love and hope which is most endearing and sheds a refreshing light on the global trend of clashing cultures. Any one who is interested in these topics and just loves a very well made movie, ought see this German-Turkish production!

The House of the Spirits (1993)

Missed opportunity

[5/10 · 1 February 2007]

The book on which this movie was based is a wonderful, engaging story of the Trueba family, with a typical South American ambiance, in a way similar to the stories of another great author, Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The House of the spirits has all the ingredients for a entertaining, gripping and compelling motion picture. The movie however didn't quite live up to my expectations.

What really bothered me was that the chronology of the movie didn't match the book. Clara for example lives through the revolution, while in the book she passes long before the civil war. The most annoying 'error' is that in the movie the storyline of Alba has been replaced by Blanca. I can't understand why it wouldn't have been possible to be true to the book in this feature. Maybe the director thought it necessary for Winona Ryder to play a larger role.

Furthermore, there were little wonderful elements of the book which might have been added to the movie, without much trouble. A single shot of Barabas, Clara's dog, when she marries Esteban. The time when Esteban breaks almost every bone in his body, because of an earthquake. This would have added even more depth to the character, one of Jeremy Iron's finest acting jobs.

I also thought it was a shame that the twins Clara also gave birth to, Jaime and Nicolas, were not included in the script. But because there story lines would have added substantially to the length of the picture and therefore would have made it too long for a regular movie, I understand why they are left out. That might also be the reason why Alba plays just a minor role, because her life is quite intertwined with that of her uncles.

To conclude, movies based on a novel rarely give a satisfying image and for people who haven't read the book it will probably be quite entertaining. If you have read the book, however, it is hard to accept the choices made in the script and you end up feeling disappointed with the result.