gokselll Reviews

About Dry Grasses (2023)

Amazing: "To Be Tired of Having Hope"

[9/10 · 29 September 2023]

Once again, N. B. Ceylan has presented a magnificent gift to his audience and all cinema-lovers.

Ceylan, successfully following some essential footsteps of his former movies "Winter Sleep" and "The Wild Peer Tree", portraits the crises of restricted lives of (dazzlingly perfomed) characters feeling stuck in a provincial region of Turkey. It is even possible to call these movies a trilogy on masculinity, conflicts of intellectual class, "banality of evil" (as Hannah Arendt calls) and anti-heroes stuck in provincial stability, seeking for so-called "a better life elsewhere."

Regarding the visual narration of the movie, it is obvious that Ceylan has embraced a number of innovation on designing the visual aspects of the story; moving cameras, short-cuts for dialogue scenes etc. Nevertheless, the movie also preserves the beauty of Ceylan's well-known photographic cinema language.

Still, "Onca Upon A Time in Anatolia", among the works of N. B. Ceylan, is a cinematic top to me. And surely it is an extemely high bar for not only Turkish cinema. In this context, it may be asserted that "About Dry Grasses" could have easily been called a masterpiece if it belonged to any other director.

Çilingir Sofrasi (2022)

Excellent!!!

[9/10 · 8 November 2022]

Cilingir Sofrasi, despite its minimal length (60 minutes), presents an impressive and profound story.

The story bases on a single night when two old friends meet at a meyhane (a kind of traditional pub pretty special to some of Middle-Eastern cultures, especially Turkey).

The conversation between two men gradually reveals many interesting truths about the past. And what makes the movie fascinating underlies the brilliant strategy of narration basing on gazes, gestures and brief phrases among dozens of chatty moments, each of which reveal a secret indicating some pains failing to remain in the past.

Congratulations to the director, wonderful actors and the whole team for this impressive movie which gifts a courageous story.

The Playlist (2022)

Music; industry, copyright, right to free access

[8/10 · 28 October 2022]

The 6 episode mini series, based on the story of the rising of streaming platform Spotify, deals with contradictory and complex matters as value of music and musicians' labor, debates on the copyrigt, and people's right of free access to the streamed music.

The playlist, unlike the majority of other examples of the similar kind of screen productions, doesn't focus on aggrandising its main object; it is pretty far away from a praising story on Spotify.

Interestingly, one of the episodes contains a story set in 2024 and 2025. Swedish directors, via this episode, reveal their predictions on the near future of Spotify, music industry and related struggles for rights.

Gorgeous (2022)

Impressive; almost fascinating

[8/10 · 28 October 2022]

Discounting a couple of problems caused by two distinct narration styles applied in the beginning scenes and the rest parts of the movie, Cici is a fascinating family drama. Despite its plain and unagitating langue, the movie skilfully achieves to build a riveting and immersive story.

In addition to many succesful scenes and glorious acting performances, this movie also deserves attention even for only mesmerizing performance of Olgun Simsek (character Cemil), who creates an excellent scene (in the middle part of the movie) with an inimitable smile spreading a great sorrow.

Congratulations to director-writer Berkun Oya and the whole team.

Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021)

Awesome!!!

[9/10 · 11 March 2022]

Among the ones I've recently seen, this is the most sucessfull and stronge satirical movie dealing with hypocritical structure of modern societies, majority of which have adopted racist, sexist and regreessive attitudes under the guise of nationalism, honour and tradition.

You Me Lenin (2021)

Excellent!

[9/10 · 5 December 2021]

A highly magnificent movie... Director Tufan Tastan, accompanied by acclaimed Turkish writer Baris Bicakci in scripting, presents a successful example of a mixed-type movie consisting of detective story, dark humour and political satire, which contains funny and significant sub-texts.

This is one of rare and long-anticipated examples of succesful comedy works in Turkey, including a local story capable to contact the audience on all sides of the world.

Grudge (I) (2021)

Worst Scenario I've Watched Recently

[2/10 · 9 October 2021]

To avoid announcing a spoiler, it could be said that the scenarao is an entirely failure!

The movie promises a grudge-vengeance story to the audience but, unfortunately none of the connection points viewed in the begginning reach a significant result. Thus, the movie leaves the viewer alone asking "why, why, why!!!" in response to numereous disconnected issues and scenes.

Sun Children (2020)

Brilliant Performances!!!

[8/10 · 9 May 2021]

Majid Majidi, the director of the movie, who has been among appreciated movie makers in Iran presents a story on lives of loser children who are worker, refugee and poor. The movie is composed of amateur child actors one of whom takes the leading role.

In addition to successful plot, symbolic actual-political references embedded in the story, this movie is worth to be seen even for only brilliant acting performances of children each of whom are amateur.

The Man Who Sold His Skin (2020)

A Magnificent Satire

[9/10 · 2 May 2021]

Director Ben Hania slaps to modern human's face through her movie.

This movie, with a magificent visual narration and clever scenario, reveals true faces of sensitive citizens of developed countries; so-called human right defenders, celebrated artists degrading each factual political issue to a means of art instead of producing art to intervene the real life.

Ben Hania screams to the world; symbolic reactions and rejections are only able to draw attention, not to do much more. But people die in truth, not figuratively.

Hey There! (2021)

An Experimental Movie Experience

[7/10 · 12 April 2021]

Reha Erdem is among peculiar names of Turkey Cinema even though he has never been one of my favourites. Within a general evaluation on R. Erdem Cinema, I mostly dislike his quick-cut montage plans since that kind of narration doesn't create a powerfull impression. So, the last movie of him is listed among unappreciated ones.

However, despite my subjective opinions, Reha Erdem's new experimental cinematic experience is absolutely worth to be seen.

Have You Ever Seen Fireflies? (2021)

Unfortunately Disappointing

[5/10 · 12 April 2021]

The movie is based on the original text of a muchly appreciated theatre play staged in 1999, written by Yilmaz Erdogan, a succesfull name of cinema and theatre world in Turkey.

Despite basing on a text succeded in the past, the movie unfortunately fails articulating a cinematic langue by adapting the theatrical scenario. Hence, the audience faces to a theatre play on the screen trying but failing to be a movie.

Paper Lives (2021)

Unfortunately, lower than expected!!

[6/10 · 16 March 2021]

Good acting performances (in some scenes, not along the movie), unfortunately, aren't able to save the movie from being a cinematic failure.

A good story and some creative ideas have been wasted with an exagerrated narration aiming to agitate emotions of audience, by avoiding to compose a profound view on paper collectors and their survival of existence.

Six point is only for the movie's attemption of portraiting paper collectors' lives (even if it failed on especially this matter).

Stuck Apart (2021)

A Bidirectional Flow Between Dark-Comedy and Drama

[8/10 · 8 January 2021]

After a long while of underrated comedy domination, Turkey Cinema presents a successfull comedy work deserving to be appreciated.

(In recent years, very few numbers of good comedy examples have been relaesed, like Ali Atay's movies among which "Limonata" subjectively looks more exclusive.)

The audience is invited, by Taylan Brothers, to a dark-comedic story which comprises sensitive ironical views based on satirical sub-texts on;

-. Fixed and monotype human relations,

-. Childhood roots on which patriarchal manners are instructured,

-. Screen addiction,

-. Failure of both the individual and the society etc...

Except some scenario faults, the movie staged a stronge sense through its dramatic tone and visual narration skills.

The Charcoal (2019)

Awesome!!

[8/10 · 7 January 2021]

Tranquil narration of the movie tells a profound story on contempary human relations in a rural region of Iran. The movie catches a successfull level of narration which is able to present a universal sense within a very local story.

Very Big Shot (2015)

Funny, Political and Unpretentious

[9/10 · 6 December 2020]

This movie promises for an unordinary cinema experience (especially compared to classical examples of middle-eastern cinema) within its funny story and deeply satirical narration which associates factual references and absurd motives.

Absolutely shoul be seen.

Leyla Everlasting (2020)

Unfortunately Disappointing

[5/10 · 4 December 2020]

The name Ezel Akay (Ezop), takes place on the top lines of creative cinema lists thanks to his muchly peculiar cinematic langue. Most of his movies have been treated as examples of golden works in Turkey Cinema by many authorities.

But unfortunately this last movie is too far off meeting any audience expectation based on Ezel Akay cinematography.

Although the movie evokes the cinematic grammar of "Neredesin Firuze" (one of Akay's previous successfull works) it fails to catch an adequate dynamic mood which Neredesin Firuze significantly staged and 9 Kere Leyla tries to perform.

-. Inadequate links between mythological significations and political discourse and

-. Failing repetitive jokes which dominate and vanish sub-contents

could be counted as main major problems.

Ask Tesadüfleri Sever 2 (2020)

Better Than The First One, But...

[6/10 · 25 November 2020]

This movie, even if it's not an exactly film sequel, deserves to get attention when compared to the first one; only since the scenario tries to explore parallel stories one of which concludes and satires some sorrowful facts of Turkey political history. But unfortunately, it's not more than average.

You Know Him (2020)

A Stunning Work; Attentive Scenes, Geniously Vieved Details and Awesome Acting Performances!!!

[9/10 · 18 September 2020]

Ercan Kesal, within his first feature-length experience as a director, gifts an excellent movie. This movie is a powerfull satire on political election system with a one day portrait of a doctor who executes a campaign in order to be a candidate mayor.

A very very attentive scenario and cinematography present abused human relations in political area which has been full of patriarchal domination and clientelism.

Absolutely must be seen!

Ayka (2018)

Excellent!!!

[10/10 · 2 September 2020]

Ayka, the striking movie of Sergei Dvortsevoy, presents not only such a powerfull sense of reality, but also an excellent cinematographical narration!

Every lovers of realist cinema should see this movie. Ayka promises for a rarely seen movie pleasure in addition to hard criticism on true horrible examples of actual poverty experiences.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

An Excellent Sci-Fi!

[8/10 · 18 August 2020]

I rarely admire Sci-fi movies. However, this movie has a very satisfying cinematographical conent and narration.

Dovlatov (2018)

An awesome narration, graceful visual aesthetic

[10/10 · 24 November 2019]

What a good movie!!!

In this movie audience witnesses a week of Russian author Dovlatov's life. Panoramic view of those seven days shows interesting details of everyday lives of intellectuals and artists in the late period of USSR.

Within a plain but masterfully designed visual composition, with no agitative langue, the movie presents satirical sub-texts on pressure of state-bureaucratic principles on artistic production, degeneration of USSR administrative regime and confliction of factual-economical position of artist in life and existential and inherent artistic motivation etc...

Critics on state-art relation in this movie not only satire historical conditions in USSR but also compose a general and actual critical sense on relevant matters indicating negative picture of the ideal conditions.

Watching "Dovlatov" is a great cinematic pleasure, a great experience!

And Then We Danced (2019)

Obviously good movie!!

[9/10 · 24 November 2019]

First of all, this is not a musical film or dance movie. This is a magnificent visual feast in which the dance is the main figure as a leading role. Director Levan Akin masterfully matches the symbols and metaphores around the image of dance and hence, ordinary flow of the story of a dance ensemble gains a multi-layered narration langue.

In the movie, metaphorical implications of "folk dance" such as nationalism, conservatism and social restrictions crash to images of individual rights, confliction of body&identity and social liberty norms including class conflictions.

Within a similar theme and context, a Belgium movie named "Girl" (2018) dealt with the matters of body and identity, focusing on the dance. However, Girl mentioned the dance as the expression of the depression between the biological body and psychological transformation of an individual living in a sensitive and supportive social environment.

Levan Akin, unlike Girl, prefers to indicate confliction of social formation whose cultural codes may be so conservative and subordinative by some regards and individual rights in the context of psychological motivation. (Both of two movies succesfully picture different dimensions of similar matters.)

In addition to nice music design, very charming dance careographies and impactful drama, a striking final scene puts a golden crown on movie's head.

Earthquake Bird (2019)

Among what we did or didn't, what are we responsible for?

[8/10 · 16 November 2019]

This is the key-point question of the movie and I can't tell that it leaded me to the answer or I can't decide if the movie has to answer the question, or not. However, I am sure that the movie's questioning way is strange and striking!!!

Acting performances are satisfying; especially Alicia Vikander performs upper than expected.

Visual composition and cinematographical perspectives present a strenghtening role to create true atmosphere of story's psychological tension.

Worth to be seen!

Cinayet Süsü (2019)

A rare example of good comedy in Turkey

[8/10 · 13 November 2019]

Ali Atay, by his third movie, presents an unordinary and succesfull comedy.

This movie is worth to be seen several times since it;

avoids shooting cheap jokes to guarantee the smile,

presents a high pleasure of humour (the movie is just a work for a crowded friend group which may laugh for hours),

profoundly makes fun of cliches of main-stream detective movies without becoming a simple parody,

achieves to catch an original grammar which is also correlated to previous movies of the director etc...

A Tale of Three Sisters (2019)

Awesome; a masterpiece!!!

[10/10 · 30 October 2019]

Watching this movie in theatre was a rare experience that I've got such tremendous artistic pleasure for a long while. Emin Alper gifts a masterpiece to his audience with this movie; congatulations!!!

After "Tepenin Ardi" and "Abluka", we witness a new, original film grammar and a peculiar cinematographical point of view by Emin Alper. (I loved those first two movies, as well; I only emphasize the cinematic-stylistic differences between the works) Unlike his first movies, Alper tells no direct-political word in order to signify tender links among the story, actuality and socio-political formations of individuals.

On the contrary, the director masterfully pictures everyday life in a (unidentified) rural region in Turkey and he, for political context of the movie, trusts to the fact that true narration and ordinary details of everyday life naturally presents a stronge and rational political view.

The magnificence of this movie underlies the balanced combination of;

aesthetic composition of visual narration which plays a leading role rather than just supporting the speeches,

avoiding agitative language and redundant action scenes while keeping the tension across the story,

charming and very succesfull acting performances (though every player performs on upper levels, as a very personal admiration; I tremendously loved the shepherd Veysel and middle sister Nurhan),

balanced presentation of psychological motivations and surrounding material conditions, etc...

The movie, within a single and usual story, touches women's problems, restricted opportunities of provincial life and invisible social class links determining the vectors of all kind of human relations.

And finally, I think that the director achieves to form a cinematic langue beyond boundaries basing on a very local story.

Absolutely, all cinema lovers should see.