29th IFF Day 1

Day 1 was a bit of a disappointment. And apparently, I need more sleep during the festival.

First off, Element of Crime. Fell asleep within the first five minutes, left the screening within half an hour. Thanks to the lady leaving before me, it was an inspiration.

Nice lunch.

5 Fingers, from 1952. True story of the British Ambassador's valet, who was selling Allies secrets to the Germans during WWII in Ankara. It turns out my grandparents knew all these people. Great story with wonderful twists, beautiful shots of Istanbul (albeit only within the last half hour), and deliciously scheming characters as acted by James Mason and Danielle Darrieux. Best part of the day (save for lunch).

Tall latte with an extra espresso shot.

L'Immortelle, Alain Robbe-Grillet's mindgame movie from 1963. Faboulous Istanbul shots. Have no idea about the story. One of those films where falling asleep doesn't really hurt. And coffee is apparently of no help.

Happy Hour @ Aksanat has not started yet. Next week?

If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle. What's the deal with Romanian editors? Are they always on strike? Is it a requirement by the international funds or by the state that Romanian films be shot in real-time, with long-takes? Moral of the story: If a trusted friend tells you a movie is not 'your type', trust him.

Home. Sushi. Desperate Housewives. There's always tomorrow (and 14 days after that, yeay!)

29th IFF Opening

First of a series of posts on the 29th International Istanbul Film Festival

The opening night. Somehow, the film always ends up being disappointing. Last year it was Welcome - depressing. This year, it was a crowd-pleaser, and I seem to be the only person who strongly disliked it. Le Concert is about a former orchestra miraculously playing in Paris and reaching "the ultimate harmony". Considering they hadn't played together in 30 years and their soloist never actually performed Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, it's rather surreal how it all works out.

Here are my three problems with the film:
- Dubbed in French. Granted, this is the distributor's fault, but having a bunch o Russians speak French to one another distracts me. A lot.
- Simplistic. Way too simplistic. Everything 'just happens to' fall into perfect place. Beyond predictable, annoying. And insulting to musicians who actually have to practice and rehearse once or twice before they go on stage.
- Show & tell. In a flashback scene during the grand finale (the concert - d'oh), everything is spelled out, shown, and explained with a voice-over. That was the main reason I hated Issiz Adam, and I feel about the same here.

Back from LA

Apparently, some parts of LA did change since A Star Is Born.

Go down to the pics where it says "Garland's boarding house." The big white building on the right in the contemporary picture is Westin Bonaventure, our temporary home in LA for the duration of SCMS. More on the Bonaventure as a postmodern hyperspace here, in Jameson's famous Postmodernism essay.

Scorsese's L'Avventura

A woman mysteriously disappears on a remote island, where the waves pound the rocks.

Well, that's where similarities end content-wise, but Shutter Island uses a gorgeous visual quotation of Antonioni's L'Avventura as Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo's federal marshall characters look for the woman. Anyone who has seen My Voyage to Italy would know Scorsese's fascination with that film. His references also include Hitchcock and possibly Shock Corridor which I haven't seen, so it's enjoyable as always for a cinephile to watch a Scorsese movie.

Apart from references, however, Shutter Island stretches itself too long, making portions of it almost as unbearable as being locked up on an island that houses an asylum for the criminally insane. On top of that, the trailer gives away far too much information (or a sense of it anyway), ruining any possibility of a surprise. Of course it is beautifully shot and stellarly (over-)acted. But with Scorsese, I think it's fair to expect more.

Wolfman

It takes a special talent to make Anthony Hopkins, Benicio del Toro, and Emily Blunt appear untalented. Wolfman manages to do just that. It is suffocated among all imaginable horror-film cliches, not a single one of which is used creatively. On top of all that, it's ridiculously Freudian in terms of the Wolfman's daddy issues. Its horror is limited to sudden loud scares, which only helps the viewer wake up at regular intervals. Such a waste...

Vavien

(This is a very late post. It's amazing I can be so behind with such short reviews.)

Vavien is the third feature film by Taylan Brothers, and for many, their best so far. By far. It is also a rare example of popular Turkish cinema that is actually good. The story is tight (until the third act anyway), acting is superb, art direction and music are just as they should be. Much of the credit might have to go to Engin Gunaydin, who wrote the script and plays the miserable (and rather pathetic) small-town family man Celal. The first half of the film has been likened to Coen Brothers' works (what a joy not to have to give proper reference!), but unfortunately the ending tries to get away with too much, too easily. Nonetheless, one of the most enjoyable Turkish films in years. Try to see it if it comes your way.

On a somewhat different note, I was completely expecting this film to get the 'Best Film' award from the Film Critics Association, and it didn't. Surprising.

Neşeli Hayat

A Turkish Frank Capra movie about a mall Santa. Has some good performances (especially Büşra Pekin) and an interesting take on life in the malls, but ultimately, it left me somewhat ambivalent.