Beyto

The first scenes had me worried about clichés of gay film, but 20 min in the plot becomes more about cultural differences.

And then the plot had me so enthralled and the story was so suspenseful I couldn't stop watching. Great film, worth a watch!

It was interesting to read some of the reviews here. Many found this tale interesting and then, of course, some did not. I agree that the plot of it has been approached in other films, but the one aspect that made it special for me was the fact that Beyto never disavows who he is. He knows exactly what he wants and regardless of the situation, he remains steadfast in his quest. Whether or not he deserves the other guy, isn't the issue. The heart knows what the heart wants and Beyto never loses that focus, even when all the odds seem to be against him. That is what I found fresh about this story and for that fact alone, I enjoyed watching the outcome. Nice production and some moving scenes! Enjoy.

A swimmer (Beyto) falls in love with his coach (Mike) and vice versa, but we are in foreign lands. First Switzerland where they meet, swim and love and then Turkey where Beyto is forced to return to as this is where he is from, where his family lives and where he is compelled to marry a woman and where what he is, gay, is an abomination. He does all he can to get out of it, but fails and ultimately marries a charming, beautiful and an eventual open-minded woman who has been a long time friend. There is much drama, anguish and arguing, but it's well written and the acting by everyone is just about perfect. In a way, it's kind of a Turkish rom-com by the time it ends though it has some very serious things on its mind throughout.

The film centres around a culture crash, between living in Turkey (west) and Switzerland (east), in regard to homosexuality, forced marriage, and cultural peer pressure/oppression.

The script has some flaws, and isn't deep, but is enjoyable and still relevant and thought-provoking.

The scenes are pleasantly shot and transmit some authenticity, specially the scenes in Turkey.

The main actors are attractive, although there was some lack of skill amongst the cast, which left me concerned earlier, but it did improve. Although only a few characters get some development/growth, we do get to see their background, which can lead to some understanding on their views.

One of the parts I enjoyed the most was also the soundtrack, as the music is good, without crashing into pop stereotypes, and is very well applied to the scenes, amplifying the culture differences.

Well, if rural Turkey is really like this movie depicts it (and I see no reason why they would exaggerate), then to hell with it. And with those backwards primitive so-called traditions that they have. Really, to the bloody hell with that whole country.

This movie is well done. All actors are good. Especially the Turkish actors playing the parents are very believable and they manage to convey beautifully the stupidity of real ones. The main actors are also good and there is a refreshing simplicity in their portrayal of gay lovers.

The ending is quite happy and comforting, which is something I really salute, given the amount of gay-themed movies with terrible endings.