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jainb2004
Reviews
Binbir Gece (2006)
Turkish Drama
I agree with the person who posted the other comment. If I knew that Turk tv shows were called soap operas I wouldn't have watched just because in my world, a soap opera was a long drawn out adult themed story line that goes on endlessly (like Yemin with a continuous open narrative).
The first show I watched was Behzat C, and its story arc was so complex and intricate that I knew that the screenwriters were writing to an audience who could hold a mystery in their thoughts for many episodes and that it had resolution and wasn't open ended. Then someone from Turkiye called it a dizi, and said they didn't watch soap operas. I was shocked..how could this be a soap opera.
I have come to accept that the word has a different meaning. I looked it up. It said: "Turkish television series (Turkish: Türk dizileri)". I now believe that the dizi is simply a tv series unlike a movie, and has "soap" elements of sentimentality and emotion, and melodrama because a story has to have peaks and conflict and resolution but of course a good tv series will have that. It is true some people don't watch tv shows period. That is what they meant when the Turk friend said that to me, using what they thought was a universally understood concept of what a soap opera was. It threw me.
Also, I was told that the US story arc has less complexity than other countries. I talked to a Malaysian screenwriter teacher. She said the US writing style is in the 101 class, and the Turk style is in a more complex writing class.
Simply said, the word dizi does not have the same connotation as our English soap opera. ("The term "soap opera" originated from radio dramas originally being sponsored by soap manufacturers". ~wiki description)
1001 Nights was a great show, call it a dizi or a tv show, it was well worth the time to watch it. And the music...wow!
Geunyeoui Sasaenghwal (2019)
A wonderful love story with great writing!
I am watching it a second time. I love the characters, the actors and the settings. In Ep 10 at 11 minutes in you will notice a car scene that reminds me of the French film Amelie Poulain. Remember when she says she doesn't like it, in American films, when the driver gazes too long at the passenger and you think the car will crash? Well, that is my only complaint of this marvelous story. It happened also in an earlier episode where I was literally yelling, watch the road!! Aigo! My goodness. Anyway give this lovely drama a look. It is endearing!
The Scapegoat (2012)
This is believable because of Martin Guerre
I don't know if it is a spoiler to say that a large group can be fooled by a look alike (or to wishfully go along with it) but that is exactly what happened not only in this film but also for real, in the time of Michel de Montaigne where there was a trial he heard about and journeyed to and attended, to see a man tried for his fakery, who had posed as husband in a home that wasn't his. This promoted Montaigne to write an essay called "Of Liars", 1574. The French film of it is Le Retour de Martin Guerre based on that real life event and the American version is called Sommersby. That is why I don't agree with previous reviews that say it is not possible. It was historically documented as having happened. It continues to be a very compelling idea worth watching and Matthew Rys is wonderful in this movie! Well, a whole cast of very worthy actors makes this a delight! My children and I watched Johdi May in her first movie and who can not appreciate Andrew Scott in Foyle's War, before his Moriarty fame. Great movie idea, great acting all around and thanks to IMDb, great fun to see who's who.