Nuri Bilge Ceylan on Netflix Instant.
2002's "Distant" is a story about one down-on-his-luck guy who has lost
his job and his well-off relative, a photographer who used to want to
be a filmmaker like the great Tarkovsky (actually, his love
for Tarkovsky is pretense as we find he would rather watch porn when
nobody is looking--that scene is actually pretty hilarious). The movie
is about the emotional distance between the relatives. They are distant
even though they live together. Ceylan is a filmmaker who really does
seem to be the rightful heir to Tarkovsky (unlike Andrei Sokurov, who
everyone I've read seems to give that title to). The movie is
contemplative and slowly paced. This is to fantastic effect as we
observe the family dynamic of these two and, alas, perhaps, even relate
to as well. This is leaving Netflix Instant soon, so, check it out soon!
2011's "Once Upon a Time in Anatolia" is even better than
"Distant." This is definitely one of my favorite films of a really
fantastic year for film. This is an extremely beautiful movie which
captures moments of time related to a search for a dead body on the
Turkish country side. When the film starts, yellow vehicle lights paint
the nighttime landscape. I immediately got goose bumps. I was
immediately hooked. The film is based on real events. The title
references Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West" and was
something one of the real drivers uttered during the actual event. If
"Distant" wasn't Tarkovsky enough for you, "Anatolia" definitely is. No
question. It's a fantastic film. The only thing I would criticize is the
end (I don't know: the last 30mins or so) because after such a long and
beautiful build up, it seems like a let down to enter into a movie that
seems so ordinary. But it's still worth it, believe me! Just look at
the beauty of the poster! As with "Distant," the movie is very
contemplative. The environment of the story is as much a character as
the characters themselves (and is perhaps more important). I recommend
that you be in a comfortable and absorbing state, if you give it a shot.
You have to be willing to just soak it in and go along for the ride.
After I saw "Distant" I thought: "Maybe I should pay more attention to
Ceylan." After I saw "Anatolia" I thought: I need to watch everything
this filmmakers has made and will make." Check it out for yourself and
let me know what you think! I realize Ceylan's movies aren't for
everyone but if you watch one, let it be "Anatolia".
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