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Reviews
Siyah Beyaz Ask (2017)
Poignant story of redemption
Siyah Beyaz Ask is a poignant story of redemption. Ibrahim Celikkol's masterful depiction of the Ferhat Aslan character is quite impressive. He has all this pent-up rage from a particular drama that occurred during his adolescence and had to cope with the harshness of life at a very young age. He is taciturn, emotionally stunted, awkward and yet, Asli (Birce Akkalay), with her emotional intelligence, manages to decipher his pain, detect a heart of gold and "tame" him progressively. Her acting is very subtle as well, using a wide palette of colors. In every scene, both of them nailed it, they were so good, making this series a roller-coaster of emotions. At times, Asli's character appears as manipulative, she lies too many times to Ferhat while using his own "lies" as an excuse to leave, but this had more to do with a scenario that was sometimes weak or puzzling. Some secondary characters who might have been interesting were "killed" in a weird fashion. Others who were less compelling just subsided for too long (Julide, Handan and Cuneyt in particular). The dynamic between the three siblings (Ferhat, Yigit and Gulsum) and their mother (Yeter) remained though very interesting all through and the secondary characters revolving around them were generally good. All in all, this was a very efficient drama that I highly recommend.
Ask ve Ceza (2010)
Very enjoyable series
I found this family drama very enjoyable because of the high caliber of acting. Murat Yildirim (Savas) is impeccable, as usual. He conveys the whole spectrum of emotions and has great chemistry with the beautiful Nurgul Yesilcay (Yasemin), who illuminates the screen. I just loved the tender and complicit love they shared after her apprehensions finally subsided, as they fought together against all odds: an official marriage contracted by Savas with Cicek, (Feride Cetin), the daughter of the opposing Van tribe's leader in order to quell the feud (or allow the pursuit of the drug trade) and also for humanitarian reasons (her own father threatened to kill her), a horrible unrelenting fiancé who stops at nothing regarding Yasemin, and then a weirdly obsessed new enemy. Morever, Savas as an agha commands a whole tribe, towards whom he has duties, and has to fight sometimes his own mother (Shahnur played wonderfully by Tomris Incer) who conspires behind his back. Yasemin for her part is a full-fledged working woman, but she has also to deal with her own mother and find a way to reveal to Savak that he has a son. It was interesting to see the juxtaposition of the two worlds, modern and ancient, as Savas strives with determination to change the "order" and overcome ancestral feuds and the language of weapons, and to see his formal wife, Cicek, evolve as well, towards some kind of peace and understanding between the two tribes, through jobs and education, and finally find true love.
Kus Uçusu (2022)
implausible script saved by a very strong cast
Season 1 can be discouraging and even annoying, because of far-fetched plot, but it is saved by a very strong cast, between Birce Akalay (Lale), Ibrahim Celikkol (Kenan), Miray Daner (Asli), Defne Kayalar (Gül), Sifanur Gül (Guliz), etc. The script improves somewhat in seasons 2 and 3. Intergenerational issues are handled in an interesting way, but above all, the relationship between Lale and Kenan is captivating, as middle-aged couples' issues about career, success, love, sacrifice, are rarely tackled in such depth. Akalay and Selikkol are phenomenal, and Daner's performance is equally talented and versatile. I found the series very entertaining, beyond season 1.
Ramo (2020)
Riveting series
Very suspenseful, with interesting character development. The intense chemistry between the two lead characters, Ramo and Sibel, beautifully interpreted by Murat Yildirim and Esra Bilgic, drives the plot. I appreciated the flashbacks between them, which help us understand the depth of their feelings and the transformation into epic characters capable of extreme sacrifices for their loved ones in their fight for justice and moral right. The family members are a joyful bunch and interact nicely with the main characters. It is true that men tend to concentrate physical power but Sibel and her aunt Fidan have also moral fortitude that makes them apprehend and overcome extremely difficult situations. Ramo's mother is also in some way a pillar of strength. I found the villains quite interesting, they have depth and evolve nicely. Some exchanges are quite funny (Nejo and the two brothers in season 1, Cicek in season 2) and help defuse tensions that are sometimes quite high. A very suspenseful and thrilling series, that I highly recommend.
Gönülçelen (2010)
Charming comedy
The love is very obvious between the two main characters, Hasret and Murat, wonderfully played by Tuba Buyukustun and Cansel Elçin, respectively. They both have longing looks that melt our hearts, especially when she sings and he plays the piano. Their deep connection transcends everything. Both actors are so invested in their roles that we believe every word they utter. Murat has unfortunately a very hovering and contrarian mother (Ayda Aksel) and a crazy assistant (Bahar) and Hasret has family issues of her own. These could have been resolved at some point. I just did not understand the long interlude (some 40 episodes!) about the love triangle that developed between Murat's supposedly best friend, Levent (Onur Saylak), who suddenly became interested in Hasret, after Murat got very angry with her and stated he had it. Levent just could not grasp that Murat was still madly in love with Hasret and attempted to conquer her heavy-handedly. Perhaps he did not want her musical talent go to waste, or was driven by his rivalry with Murat or was just blinded by her exceptional beauty. In any case, Levant never listened to what Hasret had to say, paid attention to what she felt, what she wanted, etc. He constantly imposed his ideas on her, whereas she obviously did not seem attracted, showing clearly that this kind of lopsided love would not work. After a series of mishaps and some very funny and goofy scenes (the cake at the restaurant, the university classes), our heroes came back to their sense and finally reconnected. Levent also discovered real love, fortunately, in the bubbly personality of Ceren. I just did not pay too much attention to the secondary characters, some of whom were touching (like Hasret's brother Kadir or her mother Saime) but others annoying (Kobra) to the point of being a dissonant intrusion. I still recommend highly this charming comedy that is very endearing because of, once again, the exceptional chemistry between Tuba Buyukustun and Cansel Elçin and their incredible acting talents.
Asi (2007)
Unforgettable drama with deeply moving protagonists
Asi is the story of a successful businessman, Demir (beautifully played with disarming sincerity by Murat Yildirim) who returns to his native city of Antakya (ancient Antioch), driven by a spirit of revenge, linked to personal circumstances, and falls desperately in love with Asi (magnificently embodied by Tuba Buyukustun who illuminates the screen every time she appears) who lives on the Kozcuoglu farm and is a veterinarian. Both are fierce and proud ("Asi" being the name of a river (also known as Orontes) that flows from the south to the north and means "rebel" in Arabic), but Demir is particularly introverted and does not communicate easily. His aunt Suheila (Tulay Gunal) arrives in town as well and has the same thirst for vengeance and soon, this leads to several dreadful tragedies in which our protagonists are irreparably bruised and hurt. Beyond the main protagonists, we have Asi's lovely sister, Defne (Selma Ergec), and Demir's "brother" and best friend, Kerim (Cemal Hunal), who provide some light-hearted moments and is often the voice of reason, Asi's father, Ihsan (Cetin Tekindor) who has the necessary gravitas (and to whom she is particularly close), his wife Neriman (Nur Surer) who is a mama bear, and whose indignation often runs crescendo. All the supporting cast is really strong. The consequences of all the dramas that ensue are terrible for the main protagonists, who nearly lose each other and whose love remains intact, if not stronger, in spite of the terrible obstacles they encounter. They finally reunite and their story proves the healing power of love, as Demir finally listens to Asi. The chemistry between Buyukustun and Yildirim is beyond incredible, some scenes are just unforgettable and the filmography, with nature's unleashing elements, the raging sea, the freshly ploughed earth, the galloping horses, the carpets of flowers, the pouring rain, the antique monuments, is just magical.
Çarpisma (2005)
Fascinating thriller
Carpisma is a fascinating thriller, with a stellar cast. Kivanc Tatlitug is charismatic, intense and totally immersed into his character which he portrays with such depth and subtlety. Elcin Sangu is very endearing and has a radiant presence, Onur Saylak is an ideal multi-layered villain, providing at some point, after his conversion, much-needed comic relief. All the secondary characters are good and convincing. The whole plot is very noir, revolving around intertwining relationships, love and hate, loyalty and treason, damnation and redemption. The darkest character, Cansiz, is particularly misogynistic and, frankly, the least interesting one. His psychopathy is a bit worn out. Thankfully, Zeynep foresees what the future holds for her and her loved ones and gives them something to hold onto and a path toward the light.
Kuzey Güney (2011)
an epic series
An impressive series, a bit slow at the beginning but that gains momentum, as the two principal protagonists (Kuzey and Cemre (beautifully played by Kivanç Tatlitug and Öykü Karayel, who have real chemistry on screen) discover/admit an epic love that transcends all evil, having to overcome extremely destructive forces embodied by respectively a brother and former fiancé (Güney) who keeps on blaming others for his own greed and mistakes (he dropped his fiancé in a heartbeat to climb the social and economic ladder) and who ends up openly professing his hatred for his own brother, in a Cain and Abel scenario.
The Kuzey-Cemre couple is surrounded by an endearing cast of supporting characters (the lovely Gülten, the touching Sami, Handan, Anyur, Hussein, the adorable Ali and Demet, the caring Seref and Yunus) (some having an impressive background in theater), but Güney (played with ardent darkness by Bugra Gülsoy) is embarked on a scorched-earth rampage that obviously goes south, breaking up his own family, his wife, and a whole bunch of people around him. It does not help that Kuzey, before coming to terms with his feelings for Cemre, fell for the inauspicious Simay and the infuriating Zeynep (Cemre herself hardly faring better with the horrendous Baris) but the very human heroes pursue their journey, displaying extreme self-sacrifice and nobility of character, going well above and beyond, and rise to epic stature. One cannot but root for them. The end is quite satisfying, albeit a bit short (considering all the roller coaster of emotions the viewer has been through).
Sefirin Kizi (2019)
Interesting series
I found the series quite entertaining at first, especially that the secondary stories were interesting and touching, but past a certain moment, Nate's attempts to "make and break" Sancar were just too much, she loved him and hated him at the same time whereas he had amply paid for his past mistakes. When she left, it was almost a relief, Engin Akyürek and Tuba Buyüküstün brought back some calm in this tempest of emotions. Of course the adversaries they encountered were too cartoonish, I would have enjoyed some depths and shades of grey, but the main characters managed to restore a sea of calm nevertheless and I found the ending poetic, almost magic. So it was worth watching until the end. For those who did not believe Sancar was able to jump in a new relationship right away, I would say he was more ready, after the constant turmoil he encountered with Nare. As usual, the acting talents of Akyürek and Büyüküstün were impeccable, they showed a palette of emotions only they can display, together, and we could finally see a beautiful relationship develop and mature.
Kördügüm (2016)
Ali Nejat, how could you
There is no way you can root for Ali Nejat, he is such an egotistical character, it is all about him. His sister Feyza keeps on saying he destroys everything he touches and you think at first she is exaggerating but hell no. He meets this gorgeous doctor Naz and relentlessly pursues her, saying he never opened up to anyone else before (lying to his teeth). He tries to dazzle her with an unforgettable evening at Leander's Tower and a beautiful diamond engagement ring. After she finally accepts (in spite of a scary premonitory dream) to become his wife and leaves at his insistence, her job, suddenly there is this doe-eyed ex-girlfriend from nowhere (Eylül) who appears and shares his dream for racy cars. By magic she is an engineer and can design the best models ever. Naz had managed to talk him out of it, but Eylül keeps on feeding the illusion factory. After Naz gives back the diamond ring to Ali Nejat, because she understood very well that he was not her kind of guy, season 3 starts, wedding preparations are on, but Ali Nejat hesitates, his tells his driver Ibrahim he is doing so only because his son Caan wants Naz as a mother (really? So the two previous seasons were based on a total lie? Who was Ali Nejat trying to fool? Only himself?). We soon learn that he wants to break off with Naz the night before the wedding but first he needs to go see Eylül (that's your guy). Eylül, as in season 2, is present every step of the way, in her ridiculous adolescent outfits. After having invested so much time and emotions in the Ali Nejat-Naz love story, the viewer feels totally betrayed when he decides to drop her in the blink of an eye. He does not shed a tear at her funerals or observe a mourning period, Eylül is ready to jump in at the speed of light, it is all about him and who wants to hurt him (good luck Eylül). Not only the story break in the plots between Seasons 1 and 2 and Season 3 is senseless and inexplicable (were the writers replaced halfway?), most of the characters are generally cartoonish and shallow (I liked Ayçen, though, who seemed such a good mother and confident to Naz). The only thing that got me hanging was the supposed love story between Naz and Ali Nejat and if I watched till the end, I wanted to understand (like Nihan, the excellent lawyer), who had killed Naz, since she uttered a "oh, it is you", in her final breath. All the stories revolving around the main or secondary characters just do not make sense, I fast-forwarded on most of them. It is difficult to understand for instance how the enmity between Ali Nejat and Murat could start because of Didem (When? How did Murat get in the picture and believe she was the love of his life?). The financial twists regarding the firm are also hard to follow (wasn't the deal supposed to sink them?), nothing makes sense. Enger wants revenge, then stops midway. The reversals of situations and characters are just too unbelievable. There is a generalized incoherence in the script, at all levels, in spite of some very good performances by the actors and a promising start.