new films

I know I'm being tardy in my updates and this causes some long entries - which I really don't like much to read at other people's blogs. But I'll try to remedy that and also will try to add more on the "...and" part of the title which I thought could include anything Turkish related.





Now on to the films I saw





Son Osmanlı Yandım Ali (Last Ottoman Knockout Ali) This is an adaptation from an illustrated novel (which I haven't read) and it tells the story of a kind hearted, strong armed ex-marine trying to survive and fight back against the occupying forces when Istanbul was occupied (around 1918-1919) All this guy wants is to free his girlfriend from an arranged marriage and take her to Europe to be together free from the war and everything that it brings with. But while he is looking at the opportunity, he hooks up with an underground society that helps the soldiers who want to fight back against the enemy (in this case French, English, Greek and Italian).


Ali is a guy who had a good education, army experience and he is freakishly strong.



Here I will take time to explain a Turkish fighting technique to you. It can be translated as "Ottoman Slap" it relies on physical power and can knock a person out if applied correctly. Ali is very good at Ottoman Slapping.



Now returning back to the film, Ali meets Mustafa Kemal, a Turkish officer who is planning to get rid of the enemy by sneaking into Anatolia and fighting there. This man will lead the Indepence War and not only will chase the enemy out of our country but also will end the Ottoman Sultanate and make us a Republic. Yeah we are talking about Atatürk, the man every Turk admires and loves.



So this brief encounter has a great impact on Ali whose patriotic views are about to change.

This film was certainly not a good one but I had a ball with it. First of I like action films and there were plenty in this one. Also even though it was overacted and unnecessarily melodramatic the tempo was always high.



Ali is acted by one time best model, now a suprisingly decent Tv and film actor Kenan İmirzalıoğlu who is the reason this film is not unintentionally hillarious but kind of fun.

I took the picture from http://www.film.gen.tr .

The rest of the cast were overacting apart from Anna Babkova who plays Nadya a white Russian Ali got involved with during his adventures. Yep, he is both a lover and a fighter.

It is not a bad film per se but I doubt it will appeal to a non Turk. But it was well received here.

International

This is the title of the last Turkish film I have seen in theaters and I'm very very glad that I did.

Beynelmilel (lit.translation International)
This is one of those warm comedies that turn into melodrama towards the end but you can't help but be manipulated anyway becasue you have already invested lots of emotion in it.

We are at an East Anatolian town in the early 80's. The last military coup shook the country and everyone is trying to be on the good side of the army. In this town there are musicians earn money by playing at the weddings and arranging secret nightly entertainment of music and belly dancing - it is secret since there is a curfew and this type of activites are forbidden.

Unfortunately they are caught and the army thought of using them as an orchestra to play at the funerals and more importantly at the welcoming party of the top Military Council who are visiting in a couple of months.

The daughter of the chief musician is a girl just out of high school, dreams of winning the university exam, she is also head over heels in love with the younger brother of the owner of the photography shop. This guy is communist who is against the junta and since he is young and his blood is boiling, he wants to take action by protesting the Council's visit by playing "Entarnationale" the communist march at the welcome ceremony. Of course the girl is willing to help him.

This is a painful time for us Turks, I was a child then but I still remember many of the little things and how we were all affected. This films jogs a lot of memories and pulls us into this time period. All in all it has its faults but none in acting - a suprisingly solid cast without a weak link among them- with a cameo from one of the best liked folk singer/composers of the town, this film is recommended if you want to warm your heart.