By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Starring: Demet Akbag | Haluk Bilginer | Melissa Sözen | Serhat MustafaKiliç
Original language title: Kis Uykusu
Country: france, germany, turkey
Year: 2015
Running time: 196
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2758880/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Michael says: “Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan has yet to let me down. I have enjoyed (now, including this one) all five of his films that I have seen, including ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA, which scored a Chotrudis nod for Best Cinematography. In WINTER SLEEP Ceylan continues to use the expansive, cinematic shots he is known for, and captures so well, but he adds a heretofore less traveled rich dialog, make a film that’s incredible talky, but in the best possible way. Wealthy, older, hotel owner,
Aydin, is also a landlord. When we first meet Aydin, he is a passenger in a car whose window is shattered by a rock. The shattered window shocks Aydin and his driver, and the audience as well, and a multi-faceted story begins, one that touches on class, family, love, conscience, and boredom. We soon learn that Aydin is our main character, along with his sister, Necla, and his young, beautiful wife Nihal.
“The rich, dialog-filled screenplay was adapted from two Chekov short stories by Ceylan and his wife Ebru. The centerpiece of the film for me was a mannered, yet intense argument, that surely went on for 30 minutes of this 196-minute film. Aydin and Necla debate each others’ shortcomings, with Necla unable to leave it alone and pressing onward until the audience is ready to jump out of its collective skin. A similar debate that is more emotional, yet less grating comes later between Aydin and his wife. These two debates form the central core of the film, and reveal the true exploration of Aydin’s character, and the fact that the Ceylans don’t underline who is the rightful party in each of these arguments makes for a fascinating exploration.
“Well-known Turkish actor Haluk Bilginer, who has also appeared in English-language films such as ISHTAR and THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST brings a pomposity but also an empathy to Aydin that keeps the viewer engaged with the story, even when you might feel disgusted by his behavior. Melissa Sözen is wonderful as the lovely Nihal, who conveys her naiveté, earnestness, and shallowness simultaneously, but is trapped in a circumstance that is heart breaking. And Demet Akbag as the arch Necla, gives Chlotrudis Award-nominee Lydia Leonard (ARCHIPELAGO a run for her money as the one of the most startlingly obnoxious yet intelligent characters to appear on screen. There are many great supporting roles here, but Serhat Mustafa Kiliç is fantastic as an earnest tenant of Aydin’s whose family is down-on-their-luck and victims of life’s harsh inequities.
“Ceylan is an outstanding director, this time blending the stark and desolate-yet-beautiful landscapes of winter in Turkey, with the warm closeness that can play intimate or claustrophobic of Aydin’s hotel, and adding a masterful use of buckets of well crafted, yet natural dialog, all in a running-time that seems extraordinary, yet works. He and co-writer Ebru Ceylan work wonders with Cehkov’s source material, weaving the two stories together to create an absorbing tale. And Chlotrudis Award-nominee Gökhan Tiryaki, who has acted as cinematographer for 4 or the 5 Ceylan films I’ve seen continues his streak of amazingly shot films worthy of an award.
“If you get the chance, invest your three hours in this terrific, Palm D’Or winning film. It should certainly be a candidate for next year’s Chlotrudis Awards. 5 cats”
Thom says: “This Palme d’or winner at Cannes in 2014 should be enough of a reason for any thinking film-goer to see this long spellbinding film, but, truth to tell, I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to it because even though I’d seen the last 4 films from this multi-award winning Turkish director: DISTANT (2002), CLIMATES (2006), 3 MONKEYS (2008), & ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA (2011) they all left me nonplussed but admittedly with hints of true technique. So I put on this long stunner thinking it might become a bit of a slodge. I was drawn in immediately and the superlative script always left me wanting to know how the story would proceed.
“Aydin, a retired actor, runs an hotel in Anatolia with his younger trophy-wife and his recently-divorced sister who is as bitter a bitch as you’ll see in films although not in a sociopathic way. There are some winter guests at the hotel and as a storm settles over the grounds the possibility of being trapped at the hotel rears its ugly head. The beautiful wife is tired of her role as committed wife and wants to start her own charity cause while being taken in by a shyster local minister. Husband and wife are constantly bickering over trivial matters. Even worse is the sister who is a raging harpy who hates her life, her brother & her sister-in-law. For part of the film I thought it might be veering into THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN territory but this forceful, fascinating film doesn’t quite have the philosophical bent of Mann’s masterpiece. The most important strength of this movie is its sharp dialogue & intellectual prowess. Interesting fact: this is the longest film that ever won the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Such a treat where many shorter films give the impression of never ending, this one flew effortlessly by. 5 cats”