This is not a movie. An absurd propaganda of the new era of Turkish domestic politics,
that's all.
Reviews
9 Reviews
The Man Who Copied
(2003)
very nice...but too much twisting in the end
28 October 2008
I watched this film enjoying every moment until the last 20 minutes or so. Why did the script and pace twist so much, I really couldn't get it. The sympathetic, lovable characters turned into killers and robbers too fast. And for what purpose? It was a naive, touching script which shifted to a crime text in an absurd way. We witnessed every small detail of the main character's simple life in a very beautiful way for more than 3/4 of the film but everything got an unbelievable and shallow pace suddenly and I was left for wondering why he did this and that without any clue.
I would have recommend it to anyone and regard it as a masterpiece but unfortunately it's only a nice film for me now, after the terrible last quarter.
I would have recommend it to anyone and regard it as a masterpiece but unfortunately it's only a nice film for me now, after the terrible last quarter.
Narok
(2005)
Childish moral lessons
21 November 2006
I have thought that a recent film from Thailand on a promising subject could be interesting, but the result was awful with such a bad movie that it nearly made me laugh.
The film is sucking firstly for its childish moral lessons that it tries to give (don't drink too much, don't break others' hearts; or you'll end up in hell), then for all the stereotype and one-dimension characters, then for the bad acting, then for its loose scenario, and then for its effects and visuals.
It reminded me "plan 9" of ed wood and some funny-looking costume adventure of the Turkish cinema in sixties. But it is made in the 21st century! Don't waste your time...
The film is sucking firstly for its childish moral lessons that it tries to give (don't drink too much, don't break others' hearts; or you'll end up in hell), then for all the stereotype and one-dimension characters, then for the bad acting, then for its loose scenario, and then for its effects and visuals.
It reminded me "plan 9" of ed wood and some funny-looking costume adventure of the Turkish cinema in sixties. But it is made in the 21st century! Don't waste your time...
Chungking Express
(1994)
A huge disappointment
9 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This is the third Wong Kar-Wai movie I watched and it was a real disappointment for me after "in the mood for love" and "2046". I've loved those two movies and I purchased Wai's boxed-set containing CK Express with eagerness.
Today I sat down to watch it with great excitement, ready to find another treasure of film-making. Now I feel like having watched a standard and uninteresting Hollywood-style romantic comedy. I must confess that I liked watching the movie to the end, but this is only related to the fact that I find Faye Wong quite beautiful! It unfortunately seemed to me that the whole movie was a waste of time if you exclude seeing FW for an hour which is of course not a cinematic experience.
The first two movies I mentioned above contained many dimensions of the human heart; they made the audience think on the characters, the stories and their own lives. However, the story in this movie is so shallow and the characters are all 2D and very dull. They never surprise you, do or say an interesting thing throughout the movie.
The two stories of the movie almost had nothing in common (except being the policemen as the male characters having some kind of love affair with stewardesses some time) and those stories contribute nothing to each other. I wonder why did the director bring them together.
The music was also so repetitive and useless after a point. Colour usage and some interesting shots were all that deserved nice comments in this movie.
Finally, I must congratulate Wong Kar-Wai for his career path from CK Express to ITMFL and 2046. A great success...
Today I sat down to watch it with great excitement, ready to find another treasure of film-making. Now I feel like having watched a standard and uninteresting Hollywood-style romantic comedy. I must confess that I liked watching the movie to the end, but this is only related to the fact that I find Faye Wong quite beautiful! It unfortunately seemed to me that the whole movie was a waste of time if you exclude seeing FW for an hour which is of course not a cinematic experience.
The first two movies I mentioned above contained many dimensions of the human heart; they made the audience think on the characters, the stories and their own lives. However, the story in this movie is so shallow and the characters are all 2D and very dull. They never surprise you, do or say an interesting thing throughout the movie.
The two stories of the movie almost had nothing in common (except being the policemen as the male characters having some kind of love affair with stewardesses some time) and those stories contribute nothing to each other. I wonder why did the director bring them together.
The music was also so repetitive and useless after a point. Colour usage and some interesting shots were all that deserved nice comments in this movie.
Finally, I must congratulate Wong Kar-Wai for his career path from CK Express to ITMFL and 2046. A great success...
Nice story with beautiful visuals
13 April 2005
This movie is the adaptation of Stefan Zweig's story "Letter from an unknown woman" to China settling in a time period before the cultural revolution (1930-1948).
The director (Xu Jinglei) who is also the main actress of the movie has created a very nice visual atmosphere to reflect a heartbreaking one-sided love story. The performances of the players and the music of the movie are successful. Although the tempo of the movie becomes unnecessarily slow at certain parts, the overall result is quite satisfactory.
If you are interested in Asian culture and the living style, you will find an additional taste in this movie.
The director (Xu Jinglei) who is also the main actress of the movie has created a very nice visual atmosphere to reflect a heartbreaking one-sided love story. The performances of the players and the music of the movie are successful. Although the tempo of the movie becomes unnecessarily slow at certain parts, the overall result is quite satisfactory.
If you are interested in Asian culture and the living style, you will find an additional taste in this movie.
Red Cockroaches
(2003)
Interesting atmosphere with no spot
9 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I would like to mention two things about this movie: 1) Although it had a very very low budget (almost none, it is said!), the director managed to create a unique atmosphere and a nice tension that keeps you in it until the end. Congratulations on this issue.
2) You feel like cheated at the end of the movie. The themes that fly around the whole movie (future life, acid rains, DNA studies, even cockroaches!) and also the thrills that keep you interested (dream-like sequences, psychological aspects built at the beginning, etc.) all fall loose! All you are left with is an incest story told in a stylish way. I wonder why did the director choose the "future theme" for its movie, since none of its features fit into the movie or enrich it. Everything could have been set in today or even the past.
Good effort and talent, but lots of problems with the story and cinematography.
2) You feel like cheated at the end of the movie. The themes that fly around the whole movie (future life, acid rains, DNA studies, even cockroaches!) and also the thrills that keep you interested (dream-like sequences, psychological aspects built at the beginning, etc.) all fall loose! All you are left with is an incest story told in a stylish way. I wonder why did the director choose the "future theme" for its movie, since none of its features fit into the movie or enrich it. Everything could have been set in today or even the past.
Good effort and talent, but lots of problems with the story and cinematography.
Bitter Dream
(2004)
Wonderful observations of a common life in a timeless manner
8 April 2005
I watched this movie in Istanbul Film Festival today and I am deeply affected and excited by its sincerity, power of observation, humor and style. I'm sorry to confess that "Bitter Dream" is the first Iranian movie I've ever watched, but I think that it won't be the last.
Unlike many movies claiming to stand against time but lose all of their power after a few years, I believe Mohsen Amiryoussefi's movie really gives the scent of the ordinary life of common people in a timeless manner. Although the movie is built around a group of people working in a graveyard, in my opinion, we experience unforgettable images of the depth and color of the human mind, conflicts between the "self" and "others" in a sort of an existentialist way.
Finally, the movie proves once again that art is independent of big monetary budgets and special computer techniques.
Thanks for this sincere and simple movie.
Unlike many movies claiming to stand against time but lose all of their power after a few years, I believe Mohsen Amiryoussefi's movie really gives the scent of the ordinary life of common people in a timeless manner. Although the movie is built around a group of people working in a graveyard, in my opinion, we experience unforgettable images of the depth and color of the human mind, conflicts between the "self" and "others" in a sort of an existentialist way.
Finally, the movie proves once again that art is independent of big monetary budgets and special computer techniques.
Thanks for this sincere and simple movie.
Weekend
(1967)
Old-fashioned social analysis
6 April 2005
I went to see this movie with great hopes in the Istanbul Film Festival but unfortunately it was a real disappointment for me.
What Godard wanted to say on modern civilization, western culture, violence, Marx and exploitation may sound very proper and righteous in the sixties and most of the ideas are still valid today, but the way of expressing them is very old-fashioned and childish in this movie. Standard dialogs on current political events and unnecessary long shots to improve effect on the audience seem naive and senseless in today's environment.
Art should stand against time. If you make a movie in the sixties and it loses all of its importance and originality a few decades later, then it becomes clear that your art couldn't last! This is not a common issue for all movies: Just look at "The Silence" of Bergman or Fellini's "La Strada".
I think "Weekend" is just a period movie and nothing more.
What Godard wanted to say on modern civilization, western culture, violence, Marx and exploitation may sound very proper and righteous in the sixties and most of the ideas are still valid today, but the way of expressing them is very old-fashioned and childish in this movie. Standard dialogs on current political events and unnecessary long shots to improve effect on the audience seem naive and senseless in today's environment.
Art should stand against time. If you make a movie in the sixties and it loses all of its importance and originality a few decades later, then it becomes clear that your art couldn't last! This is not a common issue for all movies: Just look at "The Silence" of Bergman or Fellini's "La Strada".
I think "Weekend" is just a period movie and nothing more.
A Hole in My Heart
(2004)
So sad, so real and so touching
22 February 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I watched this movie at Istanbul Independent Movies Festival a few days ago and I am still under the influence of it. I have watched and fancied "Lilja 4-ever" before but I think Lukas Moodysson has gone beyond it this time. The movie contains many disturbing scenes and dialogs (mostly sexual or pornographic, you may say) for the average audience but it is also so real and touching.
I believe many people -especially men- like surfing in pornographic websites occasionally and as it said by the director in the movie, "the size of the porno industry in internet may override the size of Hollywood industry." I must confess that I also spend some time in those! sites and although I have assumed (from time to time) that many tragedies lie in the background of the porno event, I understand now that I have never fully seen the whole picture.
Lukas Moodysson has made a wonderful movie in many aspects; the characters are so human (unlike the stereotypes of the most commercial movies), the shootings are so simple yet moving, and the visual and verbal links between different events and ideas (like surgeries, violence and gun-love, and loneliness of the human-being in this world) are very well-established. These altogether leave a very sad and bitter taste in your mind. I think art (and movies, as the most wide-spread art form of our age) should not only entertain us but it should also take a step into reminding us of our not so much spoken realities and situations. This movie is a brave and big step taken into the heart of the isolation and alienation of the man of our age.
I believe many people -especially men- like surfing in pornographic websites occasionally and as it said by the director in the movie, "the size of the porno industry in internet may override the size of Hollywood industry." I must confess that I also spend some time in those! sites and although I have assumed (from time to time) that many tragedies lie in the background of the porno event, I understand now that I have never fully seen the whole picture.
Lukas Moodysson has made a wonderful movie in many aspects; the characters are so human (unlike the stereotypes of the most commercial movies), the shootings are so simple yet moving, and the visual and verbal links between different events and ideas (like surgeries, violence and gun-love, and loneliness of the human-being in this world) are very well-established. These altogether leave a very sad and bitter taste in your mind. I think art (and movies, as the most wide-spread art form of our age) should not only entertain us but it should also take a step into reminding us of our not so much spoken realities and situations. This movie is a brave and big step taken into the heart of the isolation and alienation of the man of our age.
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