The Wild Pear Tree (15.)
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
Starring Dogu Demirkol, Murat Cemcir, Bennu Yildirimlar, Hazar Erguclu and Serkan Keskin. In Turkish with subtitles. 188 mins
The latest film from one of Europe's most esteemed directors gives you plenty to think about, and plenty of time to think about it in. A couple of films back, in Once Upon A Time in Anatolia, Ceylan appeared to have ascended to the level of master, his filmmaking style was an amalgam of all the previous giants of European cinema. Since then though his films have become more static and talky, with a lot of the film being made up of lengthy dialogue scenes between two or three characters. Sometimes the talking is done while they are walking, but for the most part, his films seem to be a rebuke to the credo that great filmmaking is about showing not telling.
Samir has just graduated and has returned to his hometown wondering what to do with his life. He is an Angry Young Man, antagonistic towards everybody he meets but most especially his gambling-addicted father (Murat Cemcir) and infuriated by his lack of options. A friend who graduated in Literature is now a member of the riot police; his future is taking the teaching exam and getting sent off to work in the east or pursuing his writing career. He isn't just An Angry Young Man; he's the worst kind, the Frustrated Angry Young Writer, desperately trying to get someone to stump up the cash to publish his "quirky autofiction meta-novel" of reflections on the people and the places where he grew up.
As a representative of a generation moving into a world that has been comprehensively messed up by previous generations you'd expect Samir to be sympathetic but his cantankerous self-righteousness is hard to take. Demirkol, who resembles a Play-Doh model of Adam Sandler, is a stand up comic cast after Ceylan saw him being booed off Turkey’s Got Talent. His character has the persistence to push his luck long after his lost his audience.
It is a mighty film but maybe not one whose accomplishments excite. There's a lot to take in and every move and event carries significance, but at this leisurely pace they have to. By the time the three hours are up, you will be impressed but weary. I miss the movement and zip of his earlier films. They had a real force, but it caught you by surprise. This packs a mighty punch but you can see it coming from way off and when it lands you greet it with weary acceptance.
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.
Starring Dogu Demirkol, Murat Cemcir, Bennu Yildirimlar, Hazar Erguclu and Serkan Keskin. In Turkish with subtitles. 188 mins
The latest film from one of Europe's most esteemed directors gives you plenty to think about, and plenty of time to think about it in. A couple of films back, in Once Upon A Time in Anatolia, Ceylan appeared to have ascended to the level of master, his filmmaking style was an amalgam of all the previous giants of European cinema. Since then though his films have become more static and talky, with a lot of the film being made up of lengthy dialogue scenes between two or three characters. Sometimes the talking is done while they are walking, but for the most part, his films seem to be a rebuke to the credo that great filmmaking is about showing not telling.
Samir has just graduated and has returned to his hometown wondering what to do with his life. He is an Angry Young Man, antagonistic towards everybody he meets but most especially his gambling-addicted father (Murat Cemcir) and infuriated by his lack of options. A friend who graduated in Literature is now a member of the riot police; his future is taking the teaching exam and getting sent off to work in the east or pursuing his writing career. He isn't just An Angry Young Man; he's the worst kind, the Frustrated Angry Young Writer, desperately trying to get someone to stump up the cash to publish his "quirky autofiction meta-novel" of reflections on the people and the places where he grew up.
As a representative of a generation moving into a world that has been comprehensively messed up by previous generations you'd expect Samir to be sympathetic but his cantankerous self-righteousness is hard to take. Demirkol, who resembles a Play-Doh model of Adam Sandler, is a stand up comic cast after Ceylan saw him being booed off Turkey’s Got Talent. His character has the persistence to push his luck long after his lost his audience.
It is a mighty film but maybe not one whose accomplishments excite. There's a lot to take in and every move and event carries significance, but at this leisurely pace they have to. By the time the three hours are up, you will be impressed but weary. I miss the movement and zip of his earlier films. They had a real force, but it caught you by surprise. This packs a mighty punch but you can see it coming from way off and when it lands you greet it with weary acceptance.
