I really enjoyed this movie. The fact that it has a 6.7 on the IMDB does not surprise me. It is what I call a film with many flaws that ultimately manages to make such an impression that one can't help but feel compelled to praise the film enthuiastically even though one might sympathize with its' detractors. I call it "The Last Tango in Paris" effect. Much like that film's director Bernardo Bertolucci, Ali Ozgenturk is a realist director whose films often feel like documentaries. He gained notoriety with "At- The Horse" almost two decades ago. Other than "Bekci-The Watchman" few of his films have reminded viewers of his initial artistic success. "Balalayka" is that reminder though. It is a story which is at the very heart of today's Turkey, a country and culture which has always been affected by the geopolitical changes around its' borders. The fall of the Soviet Union and the impending economic struggles of the Russian people has actually lead to many Russian immigrating to Turkey- a country where more people tend to leave the country, as my father did, for work outside. And, alas many Russian women have fallen into prostitution rings which manipulate their need for economic gain. The film also shows the role of family in Turkish life, and how that infastructure, so absent in the West especially in America, has allowed for people to go on with their lives in spite of adversity and tragedy. Kemal Sunal, the great Turkish comic actor who died suddenly as he was set to go to Trabzon- the Black Sea region- to star in this movie is a figure who will be a hero of Turkish cinema for many years to come. It is hard to say that anyone can replace him, but in this film Ugur Yucel does a tremendous job in his place and in the process he manages to equal Sunal's last film appearance in the great Turkish comedy "Propaganda." I hope with the arrival of "Uzak-Distance" in U.S. theaters next year, there will be a renewed interest in Turkish cinema. It could allow more people to view films like "Balayka" and applaud them for the fact that their artisitc merit empahtically surpasses whatever technical deficiencies one may see in such films.
