A Arte de Amar

I'm going to write this review in a way that avoids giving any spoilers at all. Here goes...the one-line plot summary sounded good, but it turns out the way the lackluster and hole-filled script - dialogue, transitions, important moments - was written and executed seemed as though it was pulled off a teenager's even-worse-than-mediocre Wattpad fanfic page.

The plot is contrived nonsense, and by about 10 minutes in, you know exactly what's going to happen. There's zero suspense, only predictability littered with boring cliches along the way.

There is zero chemistry between the lead actors. They are both very good looking, but there's zero fire, passion, or electricity between them. Zero character depth or growth throughout the film. Zero investment in the characters individually or as a "couple."

The shooting locations were beautiful. That's the only positive, hence the one star.

I have to say that I was most shocked at how bad the performance of the lead actress was. I discovered Esra Bilgiç through her role as Sibel on Ramo a few years ago, and she was absolutely legendary. Her talent then was the complete opposite of what I watched here, and it was extremely disappointing. I hope she will re-hone her acting skills, and then go back to taking on valuable, legendary roles instead of cheap, vulgar, contrived, forgettable trash characters like Alin.

Skip it.

The movie claims to be a romantic comedy but there is literally no romance or humor to be found. The characters, both individually and as a couple, lack development, making it difficult to invest in their relationship. There's zero foundation for their connection or emotional journey. They just throw these two actors together with a revolving door of hair styles/colors and skimpy outfits (most with absolutely no relevance to the plot, by the way), Plus, they throw in random smooches with no build-up, no emotional depth, just a slapdash attempt to fulfill some quota.

It is obvious the movie was deliberately made to appeal to an audience that like shallow, lusty content (and Netflix is making lot of that kinda stuff lately) regardless of any story line. But for anyone craving a shred of romance, story, or even a chuckle, you'll be seriously disappointed.

What's truly baffling is that for such low-class, trashy film with no atristic merit, they managed to sign up Brikan and Esra! These are actors with serious chops (remember Brikan as Han in The Innocents, or Esra's phenomenal performance as Madame Corinne in Ataturk or Sibel in Ramo). Usually, it's unknown or unestablished actors desperate for a break who take on such trashy and vulgar roles.

One has to wonder if such demeaning roles will cheapen the brand of the lead actors and hurt their standing in serious acting circles. As a huge fan of both of these stars, it honestly saddens me to see them doing these kind of cheap roles.

The storyline stolen from the classic "The Thomas Crown Affair". Its not an adaptation. No credit to original story writer. There are two versions; one with Steve Mcqueen and Faye Dunaway made in 68 and the other one made in 1999 with Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. They're both decent, good time movies. I can not say the same thing about this one.

Such a shame wanna be writers steal from a classic and getting away with it. These writer make a living of a stolen idea when such original stories waiting on the sideline in Turkey. Netflix Turkey has become so corrupt no talents are welcome there. I'm sure global Netflix has no idea what kind of shananagans going on under its management.

The only good thing about the movie was the locations in which the movie was shot. Otherwise, it is a cheap, low budget and tasteless movie. The plot is wafer-thin, the story inconsistent and the climax non-existent. The acting was bad and the direction was amateurish at best. The direction focuses more on cheap, gross and tasteless stuff than the actual story line.

The lead actress has been gradually building her stature in industry with solid roles like those in Ataturk, Dirilis: Ertugrul and Ramo, and had been building an aura of grace, beauty and solid acting. This role ruins this image completely. The role focuses on cheap, distasteful and vulgar stuff, rather than any opportunity to demonstrate acting skills. The role suits more to a desperate B-grade movie star, rather than an A list actor. In my opinion, this role will hurt the stature and reputation of the lead actress in the long run.

Overall, an utter and sheer disappointment on all fronts.

This is a movie for those that are curious about international productions that are presented in order to appeal the majority of spectators. It has a style that I'd compare to many American projects; that is, it is cinematic, contains a few action scenes, and has a score that elevates the final product. Taking place Istanbul and Prague, the viewer gets to discover multiple landscapes, different sets, and is immersed in a fictional universe that transports you from the comfort of your home to these cities. I'd recommend this to those that are opened to embrace what international markets have to provide cinematically.