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shirleyvineyard
Reviews
Seni Çok Bekledim (2021)
Not a typical churn out 'love pairing' relationship drama
My heading highlights the point that this coupling, Kadir and Alyse have come together by kismet.....a Destiny principle. Therefore once they meet from being and doing different life things, that coupledom is confirmed, we have no doubt about that therefore the story doesn't traipse throught he same-old, same-old on and off again lover tropes. In this one, the pair find they came into the world in midst of aftermath of the 1999 huge Istanbul earthquake, and that underpinning is the cause of the 13 episodes' focus.....who is actually connected to who, and a particular character very well cast, is known to the audience as a master manipulator.....whilst the extended families are unknowingly living lies of one style or another.
I did wonder why the commercial ratings didn't allow the show to extend beyond 13 episodes; which suits me. I'm quite over the looooong, draaaawn out nonsense that ruins too many diziler.
I thought the casting was good; I don't agree with some that 49yr old Ozcan Deniz is too old! The title "I've Waited For You So long" spells out that aspect. And the Alyse character comes into the story with her own confused past life, and need of healing amongst her quest for accuracy regarding to whom, and where does she belong.
As a couple they portray tenderness in their love to a very pleasing degree. The writing is quite tight and I found that the ends of the episodes had me impatient for the next unfolding. In fact, the style is almost of the 'thriller' genre.
The cinematography is excellent. I noted somewhere that filming was in the Gulf states, not as usual for dizi - in Istanbul.
Kurt Seyit ve Sura (2014)
A beautifully made period series.
I came upon this series as I was increasingly frustrated with a very contemporary (but riveting) 2016 Istanbul series Kordugum (Intersection) for which Netflix only gave us sub-titles for Season One.Very modern, secular and almost too totally engaging to bear, when one couldn't really get to the bottom of what was going on. . I needed to be led to this one! Netflix you are wonderful; excellent subtitles. As a New Zealander, Turkey has a bittersweet bond with my people, and I've visited twice. It was refreshing too, to go deeply back into the complex history of the 1st World War and its immediate aftermath. I need to do a lot more research. It is good also to be reminded that the 'peoplehood' is so strong (call it 'tribal' if necessary; it is a dignified and honourable thing) and whichever bunch of politicians, tyrants, rescuers, whatever - who annexe a particular piece of territory doesn't eliminate the people's innate rootedness in their own place and land. So illuminating. We see a lot of English-based (and USA) historical stuff, but the culture, costumes, sensibilities of the Ottoman/Turkish/Muslim mileau is wonderfully drawn here.
Seeing a number of Turkish productions reinforces nuances that one learns must be intrinsic to their cultural leanings. Love it!
The cinematography typically is to die for - even though they tend to offer overlit indoor sets - the bright baroque elegance in the Russian sequences is very lush.(Obviously never relying on candle-light alone in these filmings!)
I see there are 40 episodes..... that is quite a number of hours still left to relish and be absorbed with. I think I need to get my history and geography up to date in between episodes as well as bingeing on love and complexity of relationships in war-related events. But it is good that we all can add to out total understanding about this ever-absorbing part of the world and its history.
Sadece Sen (2014)
A perfect film
I am totally won over by this wonderful film. The two lead actors are so special - what a chemistry there is between them (I also fell for them in Kordugum TV series until the writers did their worst!). The writing arc hit the spot. We are in the present, prosaically at the start, then slowly the layers of back-story are revealed. Is Turkish cinematography noticeably one of its great strengths? The TV series above I viewed after this masterful production seems to confirm that.
One issue I would take up with one of the reviewers, is the opinion that 'coincidences' were contrived; I don't agree. It could be expected that that ending sequence would quite logically happen. Normal? - not contrived soapiness!
No, I haven't seen the Korean version. I would suggest that some of 'boxer' scenes in mid-film are rather unpleasant, although integral and of kay importance. Eyes shut for me!