Bir zamanlar Anadolu'da (Once Upon a Time In Anatolia)

I’m a true admirer of Nuri Bilge Ceylan outstanding films like Distant or Climates, even when I was not too pleased with Three Monkeys; but now I know he went back to what I can call his particular style that allow us to contemplate everything in the screen: the visuals, the dialogues, the situations, the slow pace, the awesome compositions, the use of light, the silences, the amazing long shots, and yes, the story that in this film is about men. Men stories all related to their own woman, but from the very manly restrained point of view. So I contemplated and had one of the best longest moments with great mouth dropping cinema.

For starters just after the opening credits there is a long, very long shot done with a still camera that didn’t move at all during what? Probably 10 to 15 minutes, if not more. Awesome. Story tells about a night where a group of men set out in search of a dead body in the Anatolian steppes, so it’s easy to imagine the absolutely beautiful takes of the steppes we will see but what it’s truly amazing is that we watch them while twilight becomes dusk and dusk becomes night. Just imagine the color palette, that somehow reminds me very much of the color palette used in Distant.

Story will grab your attention and tension will develop not from “fictional” situations but from what looks and feels like reality, very realistic performances that are enhanced with great actors close-ups to deadpan faces that suddenly look directly into the camera and a small expression appears. Fabulous.

As I already mentioned film tells men stories, the story of Doctor Cemal, Prosecutor Nusret, Commissar Naci, one killer and the dead man. Each has a woman behind their tale, except the last two that –according to me- have one and the same woman. Thus even if they are looking for a body, slowly you will start to learn each man story and the weaving of all stories happen so flawlessly that you hardly notice that 150 minutes have passed by as you will want more.

Co-winner of the Grand Prix at 2011 Cannes and winner of Achievement in Directing plus Achievement in Cinematography at 2011 Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Nuri Bilge Ceylan oeuvre highly deserves the honors and as we know is Turkey submission to Oscar, but I doubt that Academy members will appreciate this kind of true art in cinema. Sigh.

Have to admit that film is not for all audiences but since main story is very clear, a murder investigation, perhaps those who dare to watch it could enjoy the film as a very realistic recount of one night and one morning in the life of some men. Obviously I strongly recommend it to many that read this blog that I know will enjoy this very contemplative voyage into great cinema.

BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Bal (Honey)

An extremely beautiful to watch film, visually superior to Yumurta (Egg) and Süt (Milk) and with a message that will be up to viewers to decode as in all silences the few spoken words are key to identify symbols, images and metaphors that lead to one of the two layers that this film has or at least, that I discovered.

Had to get out of my system my emotions to say that the last film in the trilogy is by far the best and the hardest to watch when you do not appreciate extreme silence, absence of words, absence of music, extraordinary long shots, very slow pace showing what apparently is nothing out of the ordinary in the life of residents in rural areas, great framing composition indoors and outdoors, spectacular camera, all with a simple story full of “hidden” symbols, clues, messages. Yes my friends, the films is NOT easy to watch, NOT easy to understand but if you sustain the pace enough to keep watching you will admit that is extremely easy to see the beauty of and inside the film.

I’m still blessed with good memory so I do remember Yumurta and Süt, from the visuals to the story I saw and the messages I got; if you remember Yusuf, the poet, when he was forty-ish (Yumurta) and when he was in his late teens (Süt) you will also have to recall that the story is told in reverse-order. But in case you don’t remember –briefly- in Yumurta Yusuf returns to his birth place because her mother passed away only to finally find love; in Süt Yusuf lives with her mother, tries to have his poems published and tries to deal with her mother having an affair.

The story continues with 8-years-old Yusuf living with both his parents, now a quiet, observant of everything that happens around him, having problems learning to read, desiring to win the class prize, not close to his mother and extremely close to his father. The outstanding one long-shot opening scene tells us everything; we know what’s going to happen: is the death of his father, his best friend, his only confident, the only person he really spokes to. This is what you will see and what I call the easiest story layer to follow and understand.

But there is another layer that speaks about nature and absolutely complements the incredible beautiful outdoors photographed in this film. This is a film about nature, its splendorous beauty, the ideal harmony between nature and man, the world as it was and now seems no longer is as nature is starting to die on us. Where do I get this message? Remember the girl Yusuf blissfully saw and heard reading a poem? Do you know the poem? Is Sensation by Rimbaud. Think why Yusuf stuttered when became nervous and why as the film advances he becomes silent. Think why the bees, the most noble and nature “thermometer” of all animals are dying. I could go on and on, but think never before gave away so many clues to a film story; but again, I really think is not easy to watch or to get the “hidden” messages.

Performance by Bora Altas as Yusuf is incomprehensible as for me is so hard to understand how a young boy did such an extraordinary performance with mostly poke face and stiff body that absolutely tells everything just with tiny and furtive expressions. Truly extraordinary but more impressive is to find a director that could work with a child the way that Semih Kaplanoğlu did. My sincere and big chapeau master Kaplanoğlu. As you can imagine tech specs are impeccable with true breath taking cinematography.

Before seeing Bal I was thinking of watching the three films again in chronological order; not anymore. Will watch the three films again but will keep the director order as believe I got the reason why he chose to tell the story in reverse order; besides the “hidden” messages in all films are relevant to the moment when each film was created. I’m sad because Yusuf’s story is over but I know the three masterpieces will be always here, with me, to revisit them as often as I can.

As we know the film is the Golden Bear winner at 2010 Berlinale and is Turkey’s submission to the Oscar. Can help but to think that not many Academy members will enjoy the film as definitively this film is not for general audiences, film is for those that appreciate cinema as true Art form and as such I do strongly recommend this outstanding film.

BIG ENJOY!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

Gitmek: Benim Marlon ve Brandom (My Marlon and Brando)

When I check festivals there are films that really call my attention for no specific reason, try not to read about them even when I post synopsis and/or trailers and forget about them. In 2008 at the Rotterdam film the catchy film name stick to my mind and it wasn't until today that I was able to watch it as the film is screened online for free at The Auteurs.

The film slowly starts to involve you until it becomes really mesmerizing for Ayca Damgaci performance, when the story hits the road to show great landscapes, watching ordinary people in ordinary situations even when there was war nearby, and very tacky video love letters that show a lot more than a love message.

Reading about the film learned that is Huseyin Karabey first feature film as he mainly does documentaries and surprisingly learned that the story is real, happened to Ayca Damgaci -who reenacts her love story- and the video love letters are the real ones she received from her beloved Hama Ali Kahn.

Yes the film is a love story between a Turkish actress and an Iraqi actor that met during the filming of a film and fell in love; their problem is that when the film is over, each went back to their country and all happens not long before the Iraq war. They want to see each other but Hama is not allowed to leave Iraq, especially when the Americans start to bomb Iraq and war explodes. So Ayca decides to go to him and the most extraordinary and very exotic to my eyes trip starts from Istanbul into Turkey's north, the Iraq border, and Iran. You can really tell that Karabey's has great experience as a document recorder as his directing style travels collecting little details that surround his main character Ayca.

Is a fascinating film at many levels, especially to my occidental eyes that never been around that part of the world and much less in times of war, which is another level as silently in the background shows people reactions to the war, from indifference in Turkey to what we see in the love video letters and other situations Ayca faces during her trip.

Definitively not for all audiences but I believe that because tells a 'love story' could appeal to many and if they dare to watch I'm sure many will become mesmerized by Ayca performance, the situations and will watch until the end. But this docudrama is artish, so do not expect fast story development and you will enjoy more the ride.

I highly recommend this film -that collected several awards since premiered at 2008 Rotterdam fest- as an odd real-life woman story, a document of a war most of us know from the 'other side', and the most marvelous trip into not often seen in movies areas of the world.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @ Movie On Companion