Beyaz Melek

Firstly I would like to admit, I entered the theatre to watch this movie with only one thing on my mind; "this is a Mahsun Kirmizigul movie so expect nothing too good". But the reality couldn't be any further from my expectations.

For those non-Turks a bit of history about the writer/director/producer Mahsun Kirmizigul; he is a famous singer in the genre known as Arabesk/Fantasy. His attempts at acting to date having proved (for the lack of better words) bad. This movie was, in away, his statement that he has the talent it takes to succeed on the big screen and I'd argue he has.

The movie is about the changing culture in Turkey with the adaptation of the Western civilisation into the metropolitan cities. It depicts the great harmony that exists between all cultures within the Turkish Republic and to name them specifically, Turkic, Kurdish and Greek. The main concentration is on the family values that are common to all Anatolians and that have inevitably shifted with the western way of life overpowering those cultural values that once were.

The story revolves around an elderly home where people from all walks of life cross paths as they wait for their eventual end (death). The joy and cruelty that exists within the walls of this sanctuary are based on true events that made headlines in Turkey when caught on camera by a national current affairs program in the 90s.

There are some remarkable camera and directing work, especially coming from someone as unexpected as Mahsun Kirmizigul. The introduction scene and horse scenes are ones to really enjoy from a technical point of view, and the actors in general make the drama hit you where it hurts and your tears will be the evidence of the wonderful acting.