Love, Spells and All That

Twenty years ago, Eren and Reyhan were teenage lesbian lovers. Found out by Eren's rich and powerful parents, she was sent away. Now, with all parents dead, Eren has returned to the hilly island off Turkey to find Reyhan, and try to rekindle the old spark. Reyhan is still upset by Eren's abandonment, Eren's father persecuting her family, and believes Eren's return is only the result of a spell Reyhan caused to be cast on Eren years ago. Eventually, they have to find a way to undo that spell.

Because it is mostly a 2-person story, it threatens to feel a bit slow, as they walk up one hill after another, though I understand that it takes time for the couple to potentially reunite. There are loose ends, like where Reyhan (and the man she lives with) works, if at all, or the significance of what seem to be some random characters, except to pad out some time. And I didn't like the tenuous-thread search for someone to deal with the spell.

The script felt more like a cross-section that quickly told something than a stunning life story. There were no stereotypes in the film, which was an aspect I liked. The beauty of the islands was captured from every angle. I felt like I saw down there or something. It wasn't bad.

It is a movie that should be appreciated even for its courage. We are in the year 2021, but there are issues that we hesitate to talk about or see. What I'm talking about is not conservatism. We pretend to be looking, we pretend we know, we pretend to support. We need such stories to normalize our normal.

I loooooooove this movie. The actors are convincing and fantastic, the story is compelling, and everything is wrapped in palpable chemistry and magic. Despite the low budget (and it appears to have been super low), it's a romantic gem of second chances that totally cast a spell over me.

What a brilliant film from Turkey. Beautifully shot, very well enacted, the film stands out as much for its narrative as its aesthetics. The cats, the bougainvillea, the quiet island, the wind gently swaying the branches - everything is so poetic and will stay in my mind forever.