Movie Review: Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Turkey)

Geez, I see that it's been 10 days already since my last post. Well, time flies when you are having fun (or, more to the point, plotting ways to make your escape from small-town New York). Anyway, with Hurricane Sandy about to make a fabulous entrance (congratulations, you live in Whitesboro, AND you get to deal with gale-force winds, sheets of rain, and maybe some snow mixed in), I figured I'd  better get this one up before we lose power and the whole Northeast goes dark for a few days.

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (we'll refer to this one as OUTA from here-on in) is a Turkish film of much acclaim, enough so that it found its way onto FC's movie list. Like most foreign films I come across, neither the director nor any of the actors were previously known to me, so I didn't know what to expect. OUTA follows the journey of a diverse group of men: a police chief (Commissar Naci, normally referred to as Naci, or Boss, in the film), a doctor (Doctor Cemal, or just Doctor), a prosecutor from Ankara (the capital of Turkey, for the geographically-challenged) known as Prosecutor Nusret (though he's just referred to as Prosecutor), Naci's driver, Arap, and a ruffian known as Kenan. These are the main players, but several other guys, including a couple cops, two workers with shovels, and Kenan's friend, complete a supporting cast.

What is such a group of characters doing in each-other's company, you ask? Looking for a dead body, of course, in the rolling hills of eastern Turkey, the country's least developed region. Kenan and his friend (I never caught the name, the guy speaks about one line the whole film anyway) murdered another guy and buried him somewhere in the steppe, and now have to lead the police (headed by Naci) to the body. The doctor is on hand to provide an autopsy, and the prosecutor was needed for legal matters that were never made quite clear. You don't see the murder take place, nor the capture of the culprits, instead the movie begins with a convoy of vehicles driving in the dark, as Kenan tries to remember where they left their victim. He can't remember, of course, and that is what takes up the bulk of the film-the group's odyssey through the Turkish hinterlands in search of a dead guy.

I really don't know where to begin with this one, or even how to rate it. The first thing that stands out about OUTA is that it's a marathon: 2 hours and 40 minutes. It's a slow film too: lots of talking, with no action or excitement to speed things along. I actually had to watch it in installments. Now, don't confuse this with boring. I found quite a bit of the dialogue to be very intriguing, it's just.....slow. OK, at some points you wish things would hurry along, but I wouldn't label the film as being boring on the whole. There are a number of scenes that seem abnormally, and unnecessarily, drawn out. And I mean there is no dialogue or anything, just silence. For example, during a break from their search, the group stops in a village. During that sequence, at one point the doctor is sitting outside in the dark on his own, apparently thinking about something, while the wind swirls leaves around him and shakes the tree branches. This scene lasts for a few minutes, and I really couldn't tell to what end. I liked the plot-line, and the setting (rural Turkey has some pleasant scenery), but my main beef with OUTA is that, unfortunately, it  left me with the uneasy feeling that something went completely over my head, and I was missing some deeper meanings or methaphors. Several conversations take place, for example, primarily between the doctor and the prosecutor, that I just know had some deeper meaning that I failed to grasp. Overall though, I couldn't help but feel that I was dumber than the director had hoped.

There is still more that I liked about this film. I think the acting is very good, and the film also sheds light onto  some of the potential absurdities of the task at hand (upon finally finding the body, they realize they forgot a body bag, for instance) and there are even some humorous moments. Again, I also found much of the dialogue captivating. Unfortunately though, I'm not entirely sure I can recommend my readers go dive into a near 3-hour long film, particularly one that might leave them scratching their heads. This is by no means a bad film, quite to the contrary, I think is very well done, maybe even TOO well done. This is perhaps a tad too artsy-fartsy, a little too deep. Does this justify such a long run-time? I'm not so certain.

Verdict: I would say if you have the time, and the patience, OUTA is definitely worth a look, but I think there are more rewarding foreign flicks, for less time taken up.

Grade: B

If you like this movie you might also like: Once Upon a Time in the West, Once Upon a Time in America (disclaimer: never seen these films, but I know they are long, and they have Once Upon a Time in.....in the title)

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJOFUsO_N20

Screenshots:

The lead car: Arap driving with Naci next to him, Kenan is squeezed between the doctor (behind Naci) and another officer. 

The group, bewildered by their fruitless efforts. The prosecutor is at center-front.

Restaurant Review: A Taste of Cambodia

And the march through central New York's ethnic restaurant's continues. Yesterday I treated my parents to A Taste of Cambodia which is a, uh, well, Cambodian restaurant.

AToC (that's my own acronym, but you can use it if you like) is located at 244 Roosevelt Drive in Utica, just across from where my grandfather use to earn his wages (well, its just an empty lot now, hopefully the city can find some use for it). Now, don't be confused here. The restaurant has only been at this location for a couple months. It used to be located on Bleecker Street, in the heart of downtown. Unfortunately, the proprietors haven't been very good about updating their Facebook page, so disregard that and be sure to visit the Roosevelt address.

It's a really quaint place, with only about 8-10 four-seater tables in a small room, but it has a classier feel than some of Utica's other Asian joints, and there is some nice decor related to Cambodia, including an awesome painting of Angkor Wat. Like most of the ethnic places around here, there was only one waitress on hand to serve us. No worries though....we were the only ones there.

Now, I have never been to Cambodia (THAT has got to be changed, tout de suite), nor have I ever had Cambodian food, so this was unfamiliar territory for me. Luckily, the menus give lengthy, detailed descriptions of each item, so the unfamiliar customer need not worry about ordering something blindly and then having a live duck put in front of them or something like that. Now, the menus are a bit limited. There is only one sheet, front and back, with appetizers, soups, noodle dishes, specialties, and desserts. Bear in mind though that this was the dinner menu, and the lunch menu is most likely different. I will probably have to visit again to get an idea of that.

We started out with an appetizer of pork dumplings (a serving comes with four). Though coming at a pricey $6, they were obviously freshly made (they didn't come out right away) and not bad on the taste buds either. Some might find them a tad on the salty side, but it didn't bother any of us three. Cilantro is mixed in with the pork, boosting the dumplings on the health scale.

So then came the main event. You can accuse me of being a bit boring, but I was in the mood, and went for the Jungle Pad Thai ($9, in the noodles section) (at least I am making a fist of comparing all the Pad Thais in the area). That price is actually a steal for what you get: A massive mound of delectable noodles and bean sprouts, basically buried in peanuts. I can usually house my Asian dishes no issue, but there was so much on the plate I struggled to finish. Mom decided on the Curried Stir Fry ($11, under specialties), which can be beef, chicken, or tofu (she went with chicken, which was of course all-white, breast meat), mixed with peppers, onions, and holy basil, all on a bed of rice. She couldn't stop raving about it, and, after trying a few bites, I would have to agree it was pretty stellar. The curry taste was a bit heavy, but not overpowering. Curry fans should definitely give it a shout. And then of course, there was Dad, ever the adventurer, who chose the Cambodian Crepes ($11, under specialties). You get about 3 large, thin crepe-style pancakes, made out of rice flour, each filled with minced pork and chicken, bean sprouts, onion, some coconut, and topped with lettuce and cucumber. It also comes with a peanut sauce for dipping. Yeah, that one was a winner. The crepes, sweet but not too sweet, mixed it with all the rest of the stuff were just delicious. Mom, no fan of coconut, also approved (the coconut is barely noticeable).

After literally leaving nothing on our plates, Mom declared that, out of the places I have taken them, this was the best. Hard to argue with. Absolutely no complaints about the food, the hygiene, nor the service. The service is a bit slow, but realize that everything is being freshly made, and I found out that the kitchen staff is literally comprised of one Cambodian lady just running around back there. Its maybe a little bit longer a wait than in an American joint, but its worth it. Regarding desserts, we passed. First off, we were stuffed, and second, the desserts all had some amount of coconut, so Mom wasn't interested. AToC is a little bit pricier than its counterparts, but not by much, and again, the quality meets the price. Thumbs up, all round.

Grade: 5/5.

Also, if anyone in the Utica area is peeping this review, or will be in the area at some point (I don't know why you would, but, still) go give AToC and the other ethnic restaurants I have reviewed some business! Its shameful to see a place like AToC  so empty, even on a Thursday evening. I'm tired of seeing a line snaking around Little Caeser's, when we have places offering up fairly-priced, authentic, and, above all, awesome tasting ethnic food. It also worth noting that these restaurants have all been run by no-kidding immigrants, so you might get a cultural experience, and learn a thing or two.

Best Ethnic Neighborhoods in the US

Great article from the BBC...be sure to hit these places up next time you are in the area!

http://www.bbc.com/travel/slideshow/20121015-americas-best-neighbourhoods-for-authentic-ethnic-food

Movie Review: Sleepless Night (France/Belgium/Luxembourg)

For those of you that saw my last post, where I provided a link to a list of 2012's top indie films, you would have noticed the top slot was occupied by Sleepless Night, directed by a Frenchman (Frederic Jardin-don't worry, I don't know who he is either), but billed to 3 Francophone countries: France, Belgium, and Luxembourg (I don't know how that works, or what it even means). The movie, of course, is in French.

Sleepless Night takes place in an unnamed municipality (I think Marseille would have been an appropriate location, given the story-line, but don't think that is it), but that hardly matters, as about 95% of the film is set in a large nightclub. Vincent is a corrupt cop who, along with his corrupt partner, begin the film by robbing a sack-full of cocaine from two transporters in the early hours of the morning. One of the transporters gets away, however, and is able to identify his assailants. That same day Vincent gets a call from the drug-king pin who the drugs belonged to, saying he has kidnapped Vincent's son, Thomas, and advises that he had better turn up with the stolen goodies. He has to show up at the drug lord's massive nightclub (Le Tarmac....I'll venture that translates to "The Tarmac"), where his son is being held.

Seems simple enough: return the drugs, get your son back, done. Well, two Internal Affairs cops show up at the club before the swap can take place, resulting in Vincent's losing the drugs (I'm not in the business of giving away too much plot-they nab the coke, but not Vincent, you'll just have to see for yourself how that all went down). So there he is, in a packed night club, with a new deadline to get the drugs back to their rightful owner before day-break or his son will be set on fire (yeep) and with two of his colleagues searching for him in a sea of dancing bodies.

Now, I'll grant that this is a rather unique plot-line, and it certainly sets itself for some high-octane action, but "Sleepless Night" disappoints. Sure, there are one or two pretty exciting fight scenes, including a drawn-out one in the club's kitchen, but the movie gets downright goofy at times, feels contrived, and the characters take some rather peculiar actions (that seem to defy logic), and some of the lines are obviously looking for laughs (where they shouldn't be), and failing at that. The first 20 minutes or so of "Sleepless" are pretty promising, and get you interested, but eventually it just jumps the shark, and you soon find yourself hoping for a conclusion. I'm not familiar with any of the actors in this film, and the acting wasn't dreadful, but it wasn't very good either. The actor playing Vincent is pretty convincing as an anti-hero for about the first half, but, much like the film overall, I ended up tiring of him, and he at times appeared to be a bit of an idiot, while at other times looking like a Jason Bourne-type clever dude.

Obviously this was all disappointing from a film that I had heard so many good things about. I can see where it earns merit: an fairly unique plot, some decent action. Unfortunately though, this isn't enough. I really wonder where it gains all the plaudits. Its IMDB rating is a pedestrian 6.6, but the list of indie films I posted the other day, and other sources, all heap praise on it. I fail to see what they base their ratings upon. Again, I liked what I saw for the first 20 minutes or so, but after that things began to fade. Sometimes the action in a film makes it such you can overlook other faults, but not so in this case. Too little, and too late. "Sleepless Night" is by no means an awful film, it's just pretty mediocre in the end. If you are really bereft of ideas, you might want to give it a shot, but don't overlook something else. There are too many amazing foreign flicks out there. For God's sake, see "A Separation" or "About Elly" if you haven't already!

Verdict: I'm gonna have to say pass. Rating: C

If you liked this movie you might also like: "Sleepless Night" has a Transporter-ish feel to it.....kinda.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KatVU-Phd0M

Screenshots:

Chaos in the kitchen

Vincent runs from pursuers....and disturbs the diners 

Indie Movies

For any who are interested, here is a list of the top indie films released in 2011 (the list says 2012, but most were released in 2011).

http://www.indiewire.com/article/the-indie-movies-of-2012-so-far-according-to-criticwire?page=2#articleHeaderPanel

Those who keep abreast here on FC will recognize a couple of those titles as having already been reviewed here. Perhaps there will be more to come.....

And of course, everyone knows that FC is really all about globetrotting, and there may be a chance of a end-of-year trip. I have a couple places in mind.....I'll be sure to let you know the scoop.

Travel Articles

Couple decent travel-related items found on the interwebs:

This one from Slate, which recommends good reads for long-haul flights:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_reckoning/2012/10/10/frequent_flier_feedback_books_for_longhaul_flights.html

and from the ever-reliable IHT, 10 travel websites worth checking out (Four Corners, surprisingly, was not on the list....massive oversight)

http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/10-travel-web-sites-worth-bookmarking/?hpw

Movie Review: This is Not a Film

Well, actually, it is a film. And an intriguing one at that. I'll grant that it is not a normal one though.

Jafar Panahi is an Iranian director of some repute. I haven't seen any of his films, nor had I ever heard of him before watching "This is Not a Film", though upon checking out his CV, a number of them might be worth a look. Apparently his films pushed the envelope in terms of what was acceptable to the Iranian censors (one is about females being barred from soccer matches), and eventually the chickens came home to roost. In 2010, Iranian police raided his home and arrested him, under charges of making propaganda against the state. While he was awaiting sentencing, he was placed under house arrest. Taking place over a ten-day period in March of last year, the "This is Not a Film" documents Panahi's days under house arrest . Despite being barred from film-making during this period, the documentary was smuggled out of Iran, on a USB hidden in a birthday cake, and found its way to the Cannes Film Festival.

"This is Not a Film", which is only an hour and fifteen minutes long, is shot almost exclusively in Panahi's spacious apartment (the final 10 minutes or so take place in an elevator, while he talks with the building custodian), using a shoulder-held camera (primarily with the help of one of Panahi's colleagues) and an iPhone. As you might imagine, its not the most pulse-pounding stuff, and many will find it slow. Much of the first half is taken up by Panahi making phone calls to lawyers, trying to get details on the status of his appeal and what sentence he might be facing, and reading from/acting out (he uses the carpet in his living as kind of a set) parts of the script he was working on at the time of his arrest. His daughter's pet iguana, Igi, does make a couple humorous cameos though. You can tell that Panahi, along with being frustrated by his situation, is also quite bored with it. He spends part of the documentary watching the news (including scenes from the tsunami that battered Japan), and watching/explaining clips from his previous films.

"This is Not a Film" has an interesting ending though. It is night-time, and from Panahi's balcony you can hear and see large quantities of fireworks going off, apparently in celebration of the Persian New Year. Panahi's assistant, holding the camera much of the time, states that he must leave, and when the two are at the door (Panahi now filming on his iPhone), the building's custodian, a young man and hopeful art student, is just emerging from the elevator. Panahi's partner first descends, then, now armed with his regular camera, Panahi goes down the elevator with the young man, interviewing him along the way, making stops at every floor to collect trash.

Again, this probably doesn't sound like enthralling viewing, but I encourage people to see this film, if for no other reason as a form of protest against the Iranian regime/a show of solidarity with Panahi. However, there is still something captivating about "This is Not a Film" (the name of which, I understand, was inspired by the Rene Magritte painting "La trahison des image" (the treachery of images) ), and watching this artist struggle with life under forced isolation. I suppose, from a personal angle, I am very much interested in Iran, and any chance and a glimpse of life in that country, even if it is only a brief view from a high-rise balcony, or just the inside of a wealthy man's apartment, is still worth taking. I will also say that the very last part of the documentary, when he is interviewing the young custodian, is worth watching the film alone, as it gives a more personal and human touch to a country many of us will probably never be able to visit.Having said that though, anyone who appreciates the art of film-making should probably taking the hour and a quarter and watch this film, because is most certainly still is a film.

Verdict: See it. Grade: B+

(In place of the usual "If you liked this movie", I'll just state here that Jafar Panahi was eventually sentenced to jail for six years, and barred from any film-making activities, including giving interviews, for twenty years).

Also, a couple new additions to the film review section. Since I am now only doing foreign films, many of them quite obscure, I will post the trailer, whenever available. So, here you have the trailer for "This is Not a Film":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgZy00svH08

Also, to make things more interesting, I figured a couple of screenshots from each film wouldn't hurt:

Panahi contemplates his situation while taking a smoke break on the balcony.

Igi interrupts proceedings.