Vefizoo Reviews

Süt (2008)

Paintings From Rural Turkey

[7/10 · 2 January 2009]

It's hard for a viewer who's used to watching James Bond films to get into Süt. This is the second film of the "Yusuf Trilogy" written and directed by the talented Turkish director Yusuf Kaplanoglu and it precedes Yumurta, so you know what you're up to. Long shots, very little camera motion a very simple actual story, which doesn't have an obvious, Hollywood-like plot twist or ending.

On the other hand, it includes a very long story about the social change the "location" is going through and also a very long story about the change the main character has to face. This long story part is not told through any means of action of course, because basically everybody knows what a teenager has to go through. That part is left to the viewer, to be gained as impressions from the moving paintings of Kaplanoglu's film.

Süt is simply close to film as an art form. Multi-layered, pure, not filled with unnecessary dialogs. Sometimes an image on the background, sometimes an animal or sometimes even a bright light carries the flow of ideas. Viewer needs to think about it, read about it, maybe see it once more and after all these steps, may still like or dislike the film. That's a personal taste nobody can change in the end but this whole process is worth the effort.

Süt was -for me- more difficult to get into than Yumurta. Basak Koklukaya is close to perfect but Melih Selcuk is I think, not really up to the job he has in his hands. The third film of the trilogy will be Bal and will paint the childhood of Yusuf.

The Fountain (2006)

Leaves with an emptiness in your heart...

[9/10 · 18 June 2007]

Alright, so I hate to read reviews saying nothing but just personal feelings, but I gotta do it this time. Excuse me for once...

Cinema is a combination of other forms of art, most believe it's the sum of them and greater than all and I believe I have to agree with them.

I've never felt an emptiness, a desire to live and die together, any other way. So sincere, so intimate, so lovely put and played that "The Fountain" leaves you with a will to do nothing... Nothing but just live the movie, scene by scene, shot by shot in your head and you'll probably not have the courage to see it again soon...

One of the best movie experiences I have ever lived for some years...

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

If you're 10 years old...

[3/10 · 4 May 2007]

The first Spider-Man movie was fantastic, it really got the comic book feel. The second one, showed us that Spidey was also a human being, it was cliché but entertaining and touching. And now, with this third installment, we see a brand new personality! Here's to you "Mighty Tearful" Spidey...

I have to admit, the beginning action sequence is breathtaking. Sandman created with computer graphics is cool, but what an unaccomplished script which is way poorly acted.

********* SPOILERS **********

That blacky thing metaphorical representative of revenge... Spidey has to go to church to get rid of it. And when he returns back, he flashes in front of a giant US flag which covers the whole screen. Come on! Who do you think you're fooling!

And what about the dialogs. Like, the writer never read it over after putting it down... Oh god, a child wouldn't react like that! That's probably why the whole crowd was laughing while our heart-broken Spidey was crying...

I don't even want to mention the revenge-driven Peter Parker. His walk on the streets, his dance show etc.

******** SPOILERS END ********

Definitely, we've got something different here. If you're 10 years old who want to learn something about revenge & choices people make from your favorite super-hero in tears, this is the right film for you (which is quiet expensive and time consuming by the way). Other than that, give that superhero in your head a chance to survive the way it was and stay away from this one. Or you'll probably be crying for the hours you lost like me...

Dreamgirls (2006)

What a miss...

[4/10 · 21 February 2007]

I can't believe people around the world, or critics who are deeply involved in this business can spread their 4 out of 4 stars to this movie.

"Dreamgirls" is full of clichés, and it's so full of those clichés that I can't believe it can satisfy any viewer. All the problems supposed to be struggling the characters are solved with great paste so that Beyoncé could sing some more.

The songs used in the film are so long. This is not a Broadway show, let's face it. This is cinema! You cannot put 5 full songs to the viewers face, only showing the singer or the audience and roll the camera a little and expect that the viewers not gonna get bored or get up and start to dance.

The scenes where people sing rather than talk are incredibly unnatural. "Moulin Rouge" or "8 Femmes" also used this technique, yes I get that this is a musical, but the way it's done is so amateurishly crafted that you want to fast-forward those scenes.

Oh god, and what about the political touches?? Minutes of scenes showing some street fight doesn't add anything to the world of our musicians.

Well, the way the music scene changes from 60s to the end of 80s is presented very well, the hair styles, the songs, the way the music industry works... Some good performances from Hudson and Murphy alright. But giving loads of stars to this movie is being disrespectful to let alone "Moulin Rouge" but also "Chicago" and alike modern musicals of our time...

Total waste of time!

At the Bar (2007)

Violence, comes from within with no reason?

[7/10 · 2 February 2007]

Barda is the next attempt of director Serdar Akar. He has made some remarkable films like "Gemide" and "Dar Alanda Kisa Paslasmalar". With his new step, he tries to bring forth the violence in the Turkish society.

A group of young and gonna-be part of high society friends, gather at a bar they frequently visit. One night, some guys looking awfully scary and dangerous enters and these two classes known to live together on the streets are left to fight trapped in a bar...

Well, to be honest, this is not the best picture from director Akar. Especially the characters of the youngsters are not accordingly established. The court scenes are far from being realistic. Especially the young actors does not seem to be ready for their parts. But the main issue here is that Turkish cinema and Turkish directors do not generally operate as artists who carries on their duty as an observer of the society. This film drives straight into that misty field...

The violence is everywhere in Turkey as well as the world, in the streets, in the metro, at the schools etc. but this somehow seems to be unseen by the Turkish cinema. Because, people would love to sleep and think that everything's going fine as long as the tragedy doesn't touch them. But that's not true at all. The truth is out there, in this film. Although it has some major negative sides, it's a brave step trying to show the reality...

Based upon a true story, what's happening is horrible, unbelievable and unacceptable. But you gotta see it to get to do something about it...

****** spoiler *********

By the way, at the ending of the film, the guys in the jail attacking the others are Zeki Demirkubuz, Cagan Irmak and Serdar Akar himself (the other two being some important Turkish directors). Seems like, the artists are trying to attack the mentality behind these horrible acts. Bad dream, nice try...

Cenneti Beklerken (2006)

Turkish cinema with a backbone...

[8/10 · 21 December 2006]

Dervis Zaim, is an intelligent Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus born director who has been doing some very important films without any great notice. His first feature "Tabutta Rovasata" was highly rewarded in international festivals, then the "Filler ve Cimen" was a brave attempt to criticise one of the most politically embarrassing scandals in Turkish history.

In Filler ve Cimen, Zaim had used the tile art of old Turkish tradition and now with Cenneti Beklerken, he has the art of miniature at the center of his plot. He says that this is for a reason: "To be able to have a cinema with a backbone, Turkish movies has to feed from the traditional arts of its history, tradition." Well, this is not Dervis Zaim at his best, the story is not very inspiring, has some flaw problems but the miniature animations are perfect. The film is technically surprising (except some 2D backgrounds). Actors are more than acceptable maybe except young Melisa Sozen.

All in all, Cenneti Beklerken is a must for anyone who wonders what Turkish cinema in 21st century is about. Zaim, is one of the most important Turkish film-makers around. He has the ability and heart to show that Turkish culture HAS a "Great Tradition" and he has the "Individual Talent" necessary...

Dondurmam Gaymak (2006)

Yuksel Aksu: Like Italian Neorealists...

[9/10 · 24 November 2006]

"Dondurmam Gaymak is a local movie, having a universal content." A favorite description of the movie "Ice Cream, I Scream" made by the Turkish media, and it's true. The movie is filmed using, almost an entirely nonprofessional cast and natural locations. People living in Mugla helped the crew at their best, by supplying food, drink, transportation and accommodation. Also a native of the filming location, director Yuksel Aksu, wanted to put the warmth, life style and energy contained in the hearts of Aegian people of Turkey...

But underneath it all, there lies an important aim. The director explains that, he tried to behave like Italian Neorealists, using nonprofessional actors. He also films a realistic life in Mugla. The religious education, respect to older people, naive residents, political restrictions, somehow funny devotion to religion (they stop drinking alcohol when an ezan (call to prayer) begins then continues after it finishes)... All these are presented in a way that, the director doesn't try to point out something exactly, but he just show what's there, and leaves the rest to the viewer.

The production is not bad, actor-ship is quite acceptable (very intense and funny sometimes), flow of the story is well balanced (from thrilling scenes, to dramatic or really funny ones). The already-lost-war against capitalism is unbelievably fresh. It's living characters really warm the scene and I can be sure that any Turkish viewer would have a great time watching it. Although there are some mistakes with sound production or a very quick reveal in the peak scene.

It should be noted that, this movie was chosen to represent Turkey in Oscars. It was chosen among movies from directors such as Zeki Demirkubuz, Nuri Bilge Ceylan or Reha Erdem or a movie like Babam ve Oglum which was highly successful at box-office. It's a choice i can support 100%. Because, maybe not as artistically competent as the others, "Dondurmam Gaymak" is completely Turkish, yet universal at a reasonable level. A must see for 2006...

Destiny (2006)

Disappointment destiny...

[6/10 · 17 November 2006]

To be honest, Zeki Demirkubuz is not my favorite Turkish film-maker. But his masterwork "Masumiyet" was not an easy one to miss. The movie generated a great buzz around the director and the actors (Haluk Bilginer and Derya Alabora). Now Demirkubuz, takes us 15 years back from the day "Masumiyet" started. Now we have the chance to learn the truth behind the story of Bekir and Ugur and Zagor, which was told through Bekir's monologue in "Masumiyet".

Director Demirkubuz, met the lead actor, Ufuk Bayraktar in a café where he was working as a waiter. He is not actually a trained actor, but have played in "Bekleme Odasi". He does his best, and he has been awarded the Jury Special Prize for "Best Actor" but he doesn't fit the role. The female part of the movie is Vildan Atasever and she also doesn't seem to be relaxed and ready for it. It's easy to understand, there was a huge pressure on them, to be playing the younger lives of lead characters of "Masumiyet". Demirkubuz, could have made a better choice here. The dialogs are raw and they just don't flow.

Another negative side is that the movie is supposed to be 15 years before Masumiyet. But, all the programs on the TV (the news, the football games) or excessive usage of cell phones, destroy this feeling of reality. With the addition of insufficient-quality actor-ship, the movie slowly starts to sink...

As a result, yes Kader may not be a bad movie, but it's a great disappointment, especially after Masumiyet. But knowing that the movie was rewarded with the "Best Movie" award at the Golden Orange Film Festival, it seems like its the Turkish movie fans' destiny, to love and adore, each and every movie Zeki Demirkubuz makes...

Hostel (2005)

One of the worst movies I've ever seen!!

[1/10 · 10 March 2006]

Wow, such a disaster and waste of money. Hostel is nothing it promises to be. It's doesn't contain enough blood, enough horror, enough sex or enough tension. It's just a copy of American horror cinema that has become to be so afraid to accomplish a thing completely.

The movie can be analyzed in three parts. The first part is a teen movie, where we're supposed to learn the morals behind the 3 guys going to Slovakia. It's so weird in this part that, an American who's living in a dream world himself, tries to judge the Europeans for being selfish and self-obsessed.

The second part, tries to put some horror into the movie. As this part of the movie begins, it's so obvious that "Hostel" is going nowhere. Roth, is helpless and it's no surprise that he doesn't find a way out (just a small and idiotic surprise to turn things over).

The third part is supposed to be the strongest, where some tension and thrill should be inserted, but this part is so quickly finished, that as you watch you feel like, the film was out of budget so some parts were just not shot!

********* possible spoiler *************

well, there is however one thing to learn from Hostel. If, one your friends, happens to have an eye flopping out of her brains, you can just cut the vessels or neurons whatever connecting the eye to her brain, and the bleeding will stop. Don't worry...

********* end of spoilers **********

To those who think about seeing this or buying the DVD, THINK AGAIN!! It's not worth it...

Speak (2004)

How lovely crafted...

[9/10 · 19 February 2006]

A girl having hard times in her first year at high school. She calls the only people she cares at school "ex-best friends", she acts weird, she doesn't speak much and she doesn't communicate with her family... because, she has a secret.

Well, the story seems quite familiar, the build-up and resolution of the movie is way predictable, but there is still one thing that makes this picture distinct. That is surely Kristen Stewart. After 2002's Panic Room, she's now ready to pull the picture up all by herself.

To be honest, this is not a must-see nor a gonna-be-classic, but it's real. It's good acting, it's a heartbreaking story, it knows what it is and it's lovely...

Evil (2003)

provocative & irritating...

[13 June 2004]

Yeah, this film is surely irritative, it makes you see what a human being can become in time of need...

There's evil in all the characters of the film. The leading boy, his lover, his roommate, mother, step father, students of the school... None one them is a better person than another. After seeing the evil in all of them, someone should start to think about the evil in him/herself. Together with being irritative the movie is also provocative. The evil in any person, would try to merge out after the movie.

I must admit that although I liked the movie, there's nothing new about the characters or the story. Possibly told in many different ways, the subject doesn't effect you as much as it should but anyway, this is a well-done Swedish effort. Maybe not worth an Oscar, but worth seeing and thinking over...

By the way, try not to drive after seeing it :)

Lost in Translation (2003)

Why lost in Translation?

[9/10 · 9 June 2004]

I've seen this movie and thought about it for more than a day. The story is simple, characters are used more than once before, but it still has much more to say about life, marriage and human beings.

Before I saw it, I wondered why the name is LOST IN TRANSLATION, but after, everything cleared out. The long and complex Japanese language, loses its meaning and becomes dull when translated into English. Just like, human emotions loses their importance, and real necessity when tried to be translated by using so much unnecessary words.

After only 2 years of marriage, there's little concern for the other, but the glance of two strangers are far more meaningful than all the other words..

Finally, this is not just a drama, for those who hasn't seen it. Not typical Murray kind jokes maybe but, has a lot points to make you smile (while crying of course :D) Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanson gives two brilliant performances, and this is a must for every movie lover.