Tag Archives: Palme d’Or

Winter Sleep (2014)

Winter Sleep film review

My Ratings: 4.5/5.

Most directors make Films but only a few can really create Cinema. And Winter Sleep (original title – Kis Uykusu) is such a rare cinematic experience.

Thanks to the Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan for once again sharing his remarkable vision with us; his latest film Winter Sleep is yet another extraordinary accomplishment.

winter-sleep-poster2This year Nuri Bilge Ceylan won the prestigious Palme d’Or award for Winter Sleep at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

And he is probably the only director who has never left the Cannes Film Festival empty handed. His earlier films Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, Three MonkeysClimatesDistant – all of them have been received with immense critical appreciation and awards too.

Set in the picturesque backdrop of central Anatolia, Winter Sleep is the story of an aged, rich, philosophical hotel-owner named Aydin (Haluk Bilginer).

The film (adapted from the short story “The Wife”, by Anton Chekhov) basically revolves around Aydin’s relations with his young, beautiful wife Nihal (Melisa Sözen), his nagging, divorced sister Necla (Demet Akbag) and also with a particular poor family of tenants who couldn’t pay the rent.

Superlative performances by all the actors.

winter-sleep-poster1There are many sequences of lengthy conversations between the characters but the beauty of the film is that all these intense dialogues help to expose and reveal the characters. We tend to see the authenticity of these people, the contrast between their status and outlook, their achievements, their intentions and most importantly the flaws in them.

Human psychology exhibited and analysed to perfection.

Just like any other Nuri Bilge Ceylan films, Winter Sleep also has breathtaking visuals and again cinematographer Gökhan Tiryaki is the man behind such brilliance (their fourth film together).

Winter Sleep portrays the Turkish people, their struggle being in the epicenter of both Eastern and Western influences; their vast economic differences and also their proud traditional culture.

A 3hrs 16min film that demands your patience. A must watch. 

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Mr.Turner (2014)

My Ratings: 4/5.

The film Mr.Turner, is a biography based on the life and career of the prominent British painter J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851). 

Nominated for this year’s Oscars and BAFTA in four categories each, the film also competed for the Palme d’Or in the Cannes Film Festival. 

mr-turner-poster2Writer/director Mike Leigh famous for his earlier films like NakedSecrets & LiesVera DrakeHappy-Go-Lucky this time portrayed the life of the eccentric but extremely talented artist, Mr.Turner.

According to Mike Leigh Turner was “a great artist: a radical, revolutionary painter” and he said “I felt there was scope for a film examining the tension between this very mortal, flawed individual, and the epic work, the spiritual way he had of distilling the world”

Actually the film Mr.Turner doesn’t revolve on any particular story of Turner’s life but it’s overall view based on his later life (middle aged) till his death.

The film deals with Turner’s passions and brilliance, his obsessions and madness, his pleasures and insecurities, his family ties and his love lives.

And of course a masterful insight into his paintings.

mr-turner-poster3Timothy Spall gave the best performance of his life and played the character of Mr.Turner to perfection. No wonder he won the best actor at Cannes Film Festival.

All the other actors, especially Paul JessonDorothy Atkinson and Marion Bailey did their very best.

But according to me the real protagonists of this film are the outstanding cinematography by Dick Pope and also Gary Yershon‘s music. A marvelous combination of beautiful visuals perfectly synced with such melody!

A slow paced period film with beautiful costumes and production design; Mr.Turner is a great biography, true to it’s nature and also to the historic painter on whom it’s based on. 

One should attempt to watch films like Mr.Turner with adequate amount of patience and if you are familiar with Turner’s paintings – it helps.

Overall a great accomplishment indeed.

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