Louvre in Istanbul: the Exhibition

While I was in Istanbul for a friend's wedding last weekend, I got the chance to see the 250-piece exhibition Louvre in Istanbul featuring Islamic art from the three capitals of Islamic art history, Istanbul, Isfahan and Delhi. The exhibition was housed in the lavish mansion that used to belong to a famous Turkish businessman, Sakip Sabanci, and was curated extremely well.

The historical introduction to each segment of the exhibition provided the necessary backdrop for understanding the pieces as they were perceived at their time, though most of the carpets, calligraphy and china on display were breathtaking solely through their artistry and beauty. Needless to say, I was very proud to have seen the exhibition, but slightly annoyed that the Louvre was housing all of these national treasures from our past, but that's another story so I'll move on...

The mansion itself was beautiful. Designed by an Italian architect in the 1940's, it hints at Versailles and other European royal courts with its interiors. The mansion is widely referred to as Atlı Köşk (Equestrian Villa) because of the bronze horse statue that sits in its front garden welcoming anyone who enters the premises. The view of the Bosphorus from the garden is a sight to behold. What I would give to have that view every morning of every day...

Check out the link to see some pics of the pieces on display and some other pics from my trip to Istanbul last weekend.

http://picasaweb.google.com/ysolmaz/SpringInIstanbulApr2008

On a further note, I found the TV spot that was created for the exhibition on youtube. It's minimalistic but very effective. Check it out!

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.