By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Ilker Çatak
Starring: Anne Ratte-Polle | Godehard Giese | Jörg Schüttauf | Ogulcan Arman Uslu
Original language title: Es gilt das gesprochene Wort
Country: france, germany
Year: 2020
Running time: 120
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9233612/reference
Michael says: “This German/French co-production is an intriguing love story, that’s actually a complex story of finding oneself and determine their path in life. When we first meet Baran, he is hitchhiking to the coast of Turkey, nothing but the clothes on his back (as his shoes are stolen while he is asleep). We don’t know where he comes from or what his story is, but we quickly learn that what he wants is to get out of Turkey, and he’s willing to do almost anything to achieve that goal. Marion is a German, .commercial airline pilot, he has just received a bit of bad news. To take her mind off of her troubles, she lets herself be whisked away to a Turkish seaside resort by her married lover with whom she has been involved with over the years. Baran and Marion cross paths rather quickly, and from their our tale really takes off.
“The film is structured into three parts, the past, the present, and what will happen next. It’s also cleverly titled, as a major plot point is Baran’s need to learn German, and also decide what is to become of his life. Marion, is thrown several curve balls as well, some beyond her control, but some of her own making. Her cool, assured demeanor gets several shake-ups through the course of the film. The story is strong, avoiding many stereotypes to tell a story about humans and relationships and what we need. The film is well-structured, and director Ilker Çatak does a really nice job in what is only his second feature-length narrative. Both leads are great, with Baran played ably by Ogulcan Arman Uslu in his first film role. But Anne Ratte-Polle is superb as Marion juggling her fierce independence, with a hidden vulnerability that doesn’t seem forced or manufactured for the plot. She’s been in several German films, but none that I had seen, and I found her familiar. Turns out she’s from ‘Dark’ and outstanding Netflix series.