Burning Days

I entered the cinema with high expectations regarding the movie and I left satisfied. Of course there were some things I found unrealistic and some others were VERY realistic. And not everyone may enjoy the ending but I love that we can discuss and come up with different opinions. I loved the symbolism and the messages it conveyed. The cinematography was superb. I'd call this movie a political thriller with representations of "the other". The other here can be many things, including "women" (vs men), "urban" (vs rural), "queer" (vs cishet), "just" (vs corrupt), "minority" (vs majority). I believe this movie deserves our support. Despite being 2 hours and 9 minutes, it never felt so. I never realized how quickly the time went by. I'm considering a rewatch.

Kurak Gunler, which literally translates as "Arid Days" in Turkish, is an extraordinary psychological / political suspense movie that I watched without breathing from the very beginning to the last minute. If we can still be so deeply affected by the events that take place in this film despite all the shame and disgrace we have experienced in the last 20 years, it means there is still hope for this country.

The suspense continues until the end of the movie, also with the help of great soundtrack and perfect acting performances, especially by the talented young Turkish actor, sweet Selahattin Pasali.

My only disappointment about the movie was the end was not very hopeful, which we need more than ever nowadays...

We support the movie Dry Days, against the scandalous decision. Emin Alper is a very successful director. He excited us all with his films Blockade and Behind the Hill. In this movie; The unbearable difficulty of being an individual in societies where the obedience culture is dominant. We are watching a parody of Turkey through the town. The first half is particularly spooky and exciting. I wish there weren't any forced scenes in the second half. Nevertheless, it is a very valuable film for today's cinema, especially for social sensitivity.

What's in the movie? 1. Sociological structure of eastern societies 2. Why are we a 3rd world country? 3. The sad end of non-individual societies. 4. Mass psychology and bigoted people 5. Generalization of Turkey over the town. 6. Difficulties in town life, depressing atmosphere.

Turkiye doesn't shy away from social dramas, but it so rarley and bravely decide to delve in such an explicit way when discussing explosive topics such as homophobia, sexism, xenophobia and corruption.

The cinematography is beautiful, giving enough time to explore the confining atmosphere closing in on Emre. Also, the utelizing of water throughout was done in such a clever way - not only with the intention of allegorical, but also as an agent of action driving the characters to act. It also has some bureaucracy absurdism which lightens the mood, right before thing get serious.

The acting is great and well casted, especially the actor playing Emre really knows how to pace himself emotionally, without falling once into an exaggerated dramatic scene. Turkiye's young generation of actors are gaining a name for themselves and their craft.

When an idealistic young prosecutor is assigned to a rural Turkish community to try a criminal case involving serious allegations involving a major infrastructure project, he quickly finds himself in over his head. Circumstances soon place him in a thorny situation where his credibility, objectivity, reputation and personal integrity are all put at risk, jeopardizing not only his handling of the case, but also his career and future. Unfortunately, as generally compelling as the narrative is at the outset, writer-director Emin Alper's overlong saga becomes a little too convoluted for its own good. One can't help but ask, is it a political film? A thriller? A crime story? A crisis of conscience? The film plays like it tries to incorporate some of all of these qualities in an attempt to tell a story that throws curves at viewers to keep them guessing. But the picture seems to lose its way in doing so, not quite sure how to wrap things up, especially when the supposedly astute big city prosecutor comes across as unbelievably naïve and clueless. These failings regrettably undercut the production's fine performances and superb cinematography, qualities that could have helped to make this release a better offering had they been backed by a better story and script. Indeed, in the end, it's the audience that gets burned by this one.