Directorial Self-Indulgence at its Utmost

Funny Games U.S. - 2,5 stars

I'm glad I thought about this film a few days after having seen it because if I had written this review on the night of the viewing, the post would have been drastically different. I'll put it simply: Haneke completely pissed me off with his latest, which is actually a word-for-word, scene-for-scene replica of his 1997 Austrian film. Even the houses are built with the same exact measurements for the remake. And the same exact annoying frustration is there; so strong that I wanted to leave the cinema in the middle of the film, and I never do that...no matter how much I dislike a film...

Such strong reaction was probably what Haneke was going for with the American remake, but I still can't justify the self-indulgence on the part of the director prevalent in making this film; especially from such an auteur as Haneke. Funny Games U.S. does not compare to Caché or La Pianiste on any levels. But I still think it accomplishes what it sets out for: toying with our taken-for-granted securities and expectations from a story with cold-blooded villains.

The main frustration stems from the fact that the violence in the film has no reason or purpose, and Haneke denies the viewer the only scene of relief and satisfaction. At that point, everyone at the film theatre I was at lost it and started grumbling. The thought that these villains had more control than anyone else really pushes the viewer off the edge of benefit-of-the-doubt.

I'm sure a lot of people will hate Haneke for this film and will vow never to see his films again. I, on the other hand, will still see them, but I'll always remember the 2 hours I spent stuck in a hot cinema in central London shaking my leg and wondering when the hell I can get out... That's how strong your reaction to this film might be, just so you're aware.

Children are children, even when they're ghosts

El Orfanato - 4,5 stars

'One, Two, Three...Knock on the door...!' In all sincerity, I don't remember any film sequence with such pure suspense that made me clutch my seat as the camera swept across the room back and forth. Director Juan Antonio Bayona transforms one of children's favorite games into one of the finest suspense rides to grace the big screen as we play hide and seek with Laura and the lost children. The biggest accomplishment for the film though is its modern twist on the traditional ghost story, which essentially lifts this film out of the depths of countless horror flicks into the finest levels of masterful suspense.

El Orfanato may be one of the few horror films to have a spine, a heart and a brain. The screenplay is very solid and well-developed with every turn in the story well calculated and for a reason, kudos to Sergio Sánchez. The script along with the fine acting, especially of the main actress Belén Rueda, carry the film comfortably forward. Rueda does an excellent job of making us connect with her where the viewer actually cares about her and her quest up until the final moment.

All in all, Bayona triumphs in proving to the film world that a horror film on a typical premise can still surprise, thrill and keep its grip on the viewer for prolonged moments of pleasurable suspense. Highly recommended!

Yalin singing live at the legendary Green Mill

Yes, you've read that correctly. I've made it to the Green Mill and sang two songs with a trio as part of the Bloom School of Jazz recital. While I was in Chicago for the past couple of months, I decided I should invest in myself a bit and decided to take the jazz vocal courses offered by Spider Saloff at the Bloom School. After seven sessions and a few rehearsals, I found myself on the stage of the legendary Mill.. what can I say? It feels great!

The two songs I performed are You've Changed by Bill Carey and Carl Fischer and Honeysuckle Rose by Thomas 'Fats' Waller. Feel free to head to the following youtube links to watch the live performance of both songs at the Mill. Hope you enjoy them!

You've Changed - http://youtube.com/watch?v=QY9hIhf4hJo
Honeysuckle Rose - http://youtube.com/watch?v=s4RwFEwBu7A

Wong Kar-Wai's visual seduction just about saves his latest

My Blueberry Nights - 3,5 stars

Never has a kiss been filmed so deliciously and seductively, yet Kar-Wai's latest film falls short when it comes to its screenplay. Images of ice cream melting slowly over a slice of fresh blueberry pie accompany a lateral shot of Jude Law kissing the ice cream off Norah Jones' full lips. My Blueberry Nights continues Kar-Wai's visual tradition that defined his auteur seal for his previous films such as In the Mood for Love, 2046 and Chungking Express. The sliding, slow camera movements, full exposed colors, highly-stylized mise-en-scène and overall visual polish are the prominent features of this film. His signature slow-motion treatment of real-time film is still around and used to full effect. However, all the prettiness can't save the script.

I must say that the actors have done their best, and their performances are pretty good, even Norah Jones', though Natalie Portman leads the main honors. The casting of Norah Jones isn't that surprising either as Kar-Wai likes to star popular artists in his films such as Faye Wong, a pop singer in Hong Kong, who starred in Chungking Express after which she continued to work with him. However, the script feels empty, under-developed and too indie, to such an extent that there were times when I chuckled at certain voice-over comments about life or love in general. They felt a bit too tired and forced. This might be the result of Kar-Wai working with a language other than his native tongue.

In my opinion, Kar-Wai did not deliver what he should have shown the world as his next film after 2046. The material isn't well developed and the script feels too forced. But it's still a beautiful film and I would recommend watching it just for the visuals and the cinematography. I won't be buying the DVD any time soon though.

Lights. Mic. Record. One. Two. One, Two, Three, Four!

I've been quite active with music lately. I recorded four songs for my best friend's birthday in Jan 2008. All four songs are covers and more or less in the style of the original performer, especially the Amy Winehouse covers. They also have a single idea that binds them - longing (for love, for life, etc.). Therefore, I named this CD of covers after my best friend's name - ö·z·l·e·m, which means longing in Turkish. Below are four songs:

1. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight – Bob Dylan
2. Stronger Than Me – Amy Winehouse
3. Love is a Losing Game – Amy Winehouse
4. C’est L’amour – Carla Bruni

I also signed up for jazz vocal classes at the Bloom School of Jazz at the beginning of the year and have been attending once a week. I've just recorded a demo of the two songs that I'll be performing at the Green Mill in Chicago on March 29 as my graduation ceremony. I'm really excited because I was able to develop my own style for both songs, You've Changed and Honeysuckle Rose. They're not the best right now as I'm still working on them, but they've come a long way... With this demo CD, I can target problem areas and try and improve before the final show at the Green Mill. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

I hope to stay as active as I've been so far on the music front. Hopefully, you'll hear from me again with more songs and maybe jam sessions/open-mic nights, where I'll need your support. ;) Check out the songs at my myspace.com page:

http://www.myspace.com/ysolmaz