Beyto

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.

That doesn't mean that the film is not thought provoking. The first thing to say is that the oppression, the forced marriages, the disapproval of homosexuality, the patriarchy are nothing to do with religion but are cultural. Not once is reference made to god or religion to justify the actions and attitudes in the film, rather to culture, family and community. It would be wrong to see this film as a diatribe, more a commentary on the conformity engendered by a homogenous culture.

I have lived one of the themes of the film vicariously. A younger work colleague whose parents just suspected that he was gay was tricked into going to Pakistan and marrying a cousin from his parents' village. It's an appalling situation and one that pertains in many cultures and societies all over the world. This is partly why I found the film so relevant and thought provoking.

Beyto was brought up in Switzerland where such mores are an irrelevance yet he was still indoctrinated with them. He's careful, but not careful enough and gets caught out which leads to the tragic events of the film and the awful outcomes for so many people. The family had hoped to keep the "shame" under wraps but it blows up in their faces. Fortunately he has friends of Turkish descent who were born in the West who can help him out.

I am being deliberately vague as I don't want to have spoilers here. I have to say though that the ending is idealised too far for my taste which is why I have given a seven.

The film in general has an authenticity that I liked, especially the scenes shot in Turkey. I live in a Muslim country, albeit an Arab one, but so many of the customs and beliefs are the same or similar. I have friends who have had to deal with these issues so it's very close to home for me.

I can't say that this is a profound film, it's more an entertaining and moving story showing very real situations that many unfortunate people have to submit to everywhere. The leading men, Mike and Beyto, were attractive lads and Seher, the wife, had a personality.

There are quite a few films in the germanosphere exploring relationships between Westerners and guys of Turkish descent. This is one of the nicest of them.

There have been quite a few LGBT themed films regarding characters of Turkish root (from the cult classic 'Lola and the Billy the Kid' to more recent 'Wo willst du hin, Habibi'). So the basic drama is nothing new at all. The difference here is how the characters stuck in the situation make compromises and find a way to look for a better future. Another positive note is none of the characters - Beyto's parents who forces their son to an arranged marriage, Beyto's bride, his boy friend and Beyto himself - are either demonized or victimized.

But this positive note is ultimately unconvincing, not only because it's bit unrealistic but more so because the delivery is weak. The acting, script and editing are all bit rough around the edge and loose that it feels more like a TV drama than a feature film, where things has to be kept much tighter given the limited run-time. It is most obvious with the ending. Just a scene ago, everybody was a tortured soul and the gap between them still much to wide, and then we're suddenly thrown with all smile, all sunny and blue water last scene, where everything suddenly looks positive. I can't dismiss the feeling something's missing inbetween, and frankly there were quite a few moments I felt that way through out the film.

It's a good effort, worth a watch and I'm looking forward to more of such positive looking films in the future... but I hope it could be more in a polished presentation.

The segment in Turkey is really strong and I wished the whole movie was just this story. But the main character is very whiney and insufferable, and his Swiss boyfriend is so poorly drawn that he comes off as an unintentional misogynist when things get complicated. Without giving anything away, I was also not a fan of the implausible ending. There are a lot of promising elements in this, but they sadly don't add up for a number of reasons.

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.