278. Web-series Reviews – 111

More web-series reviews… this time all Turkish😊!!

 

Fatma – Came out in 2021.  I chanced upon this series when I saw an article about the Unseen series on Netflix.  I saw that Unseen was a remake of the Turkish series Fatma.  So, I decided to see the original😊!

The series follows the story of Fatma (35), an ordinary cleaning lady who commits an unexpected murder while searching for her missing husband, Zafer, who was just released from jail. Zafer's dodgy underground associates soon find out what she did, and the only way for her to survive in this man's world is to continue killing. She gets away with it too - since no one takes her to be more than an ordinary cleaner, she becomes an invisible killer. In the end, murder becomes a release for the years of struggle and grief that she had repressed, and a new part of her identity she must confront.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Fatma Yilmaz is not the sort of person one would suspect of committing any crime. She is a mousy woman, who works as cleaner, with a permanently downtrodden look. She hasn't heard from her husband since he was released from jail and fears something has happened to him. As she searches for him she asks questions of her husband's contacts, some of them fairly shady. One day she 'borrows' a pistol from one of these contacts. The next one she sees is threatening, it appears that her husband owed him money... she shoots and kills him. The authorities don't suspect her but a small number of people know what happened and they, along with others making her life difficult gradually join a mounting body count.

I really enjoyed this series; it provides the drama one would expect in such a series as well as plenty of moments of pitch black comedy. There are moments of tragedy; early on we learn that her son died while her husband was missing; the actual details are shown later in a heart breaking scene. The highlight of the series is Fatma herself; she is such an unlikely killer but the story is told in a way that makes her believable; Burcu Biricik is brilliant in this role. The rest of the cast are solid too and their characters are nicely varied; some are distinctly unpleasant but others are likeable. The story uses flashbacks effectively; only revealing certain key that happened in the past when necessary. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to people looking for something a little different.

These comments are based on watching the series in Turkish with English subtitles.

My Take – A necessary watch😊!

Bir Biskadir (Ethos) – Came in 2020. A group of unique characters from dramatically different socio-cultural backgrounds meeting in startling circumstances in the vibrant and colorful city of Istanbul, - some by chance and some by force of will.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

Urban professionals have their own problems. Their education and money do not protect them from life's unpleasant variables. But when stuff goes bad, they don't have faith to lean on.

Meanwhile a wide-eyed, guileless shanty-town girl with the fear of God, seems to be the glue that holds other people's lives together. Our main protagonist triggers impactful soul-searching in her doctor, is the rock for her troubled family, the object of affection of a lonely intellectual, and the caretaker for a sloppy, upscale slacker.

The performances here are as good as they come. It's pleasing to see how good people can be at their craft, and eye-opening to be reminded that those in the non-Western world have their own resources in the artistic world. They don't need to train in the West.

The soundtrack and urban pan shots seemed peculiarly "retro," like from the 70s. Catchy music. Particularly impressive was the way each episode ended. With either concert footage of some old-school Turkish crooner, or a montage of city people. Very clever and different.

I think part of the point of the whole thing, was to show that in a huge city, there are countless stories. Many even intersect across cultural lines. You may pass a person in the street and never see them again. But they continue to live, and feel, and dream. Their story does not stop filming, just because you aren't watching it.

The mutual alienation between the religious and the secular is highlighted here with perhaps a rare positive skew toward the religious. They seem more grounded and humble. Either way, it's hard for one side to relate to the other, and each perhaps feels contempt for the other.

They use the term "covered" here to describe the religious women who wear head scarves. But there is perhaps another type in these mixed societies. Those are people who do fear God, but for multiple reasons, maybe don't pray five times per day, or wear a covering. But they don't think of themselves as secular.

Our secular slacker's mom might be that type. She had a brief time in the spotlight, and it seemed clear that she was basically conservative and old-fashioned, if not officially religious.

There are many scenes of people staring at the person speaking to them, or staring when that person is done. That's actually refreshing, although dull to watch. Refreshing because so often the person you are speaking to is not really paying attention, or they are just planning what they will say when you stop talking.

If you have lot of patience, like character studies, and find other cultures interesting, give this one a try. It doesn't make one giant earth-shattering point about life, but it makes you think about people, troubles, luck, and how we deal with it all.

Another review from IMDB...

This series filmed in and around Istanbul, Turkey is a brilliant cinematic piece. If the opening grabs you, like it did me, you'll probably like the rest of it. In the first scene, a young guileless Muslim woman, Meryem, (Öykü Karayel in a pure and honest performance), sits before a psychiatrist, Peri, a lonely, tightly drawn secular woman. Meryem is there because she has had fainting spells. Her doctor suggested she talk to a therapist to see if might recognize an emotional connection.

Meryem is conflicted because this visit to a therapist goes against the teachings of her Hodja, Islamic teacher. Right away I wondered, "What is wrong with this uptight psychiatrist?" In a following scene, Peri is talking to HER psychiatrist about her feelings towards Meryem. Questions arise about THIS psychiatrist too as we are given a window into HER life as well.

The interpersonal dynamics, convoluted characters, cultural clashes between Muslim and secular ways, and lovely, artistic cinematography of Turkey hooked me.

I believe one of the storylines shows a person suffering with tardive dyskianesia, a tragic effect of medication that causes a person uncontrollable movements. I looked it up and didn't see any other review of Ethos mention it. If the scene is what I thought it was, I wish it had been more explicit to bring this problem clearly into public knowledge.

The main storylines intersect like a dance. Meryem is the character that connects all the different threads, some of which are more coherent than others. The characters are complex, immensely troubled, empathic, or unlikeable on the surface. The dramatic production, which peels back layers of each individual to reveal their vulnerabilities and strengths, includes humerous moments as well. I welcomed a look into a culture and ways of life different than mine, and appreciated hearing the language and music. The character of Meryem stayed with me for a few days.

My Take – A necessary watch😊!!

Sahsiyet (Persona) – Came out in 2018. Agâh is a retired 65-year-old judicial clerk, who crosses roads with Nevra, the only female police officer in the homicide office. Is it only a coincidence that Agâh and Nevra approach each other? Agâh Beyoglu, a retired judicial officer, is living alone in Beyoglu, Istanbul's most populous and lively district. His daughter lived abroad, his wife died years ago. This monotonous life of Agâh is upset by the diagnosis of Alzheimer's beginning. He will forget all his memories because of his illness. Even if we do not accept this fact at first, Agâh realizes that forgetting is an opportunity. An opportunity to commit a murder he has planned for years. He will not remember this crime in the future and he will not take remorse for not remembering it. Meanwhile, Nevra, the female police officer in the murder desk, was on the verge of resignation because of the pressure on her. However, the murder decision of Agâh will completely change the life of Nevra.

Trivia

Haluk Bilginer was awarded International Emmy for his performance as Agah Beyoglu in 2019.

One of the reviews from IMDB...

As serial killer stories go - there's a psycho, presumably, on a killing spree with seemingly unrelated victims making local police station look like a circus. Pretty much everything is revealed to us viewers except how will they catch him and more importantly- why is he doing this. The "why" will keep you glued to your seat, make you assume and connect these men in your head. And once you think you've got the hangs of it the story turns upside down and leaves you speechless. Seriously, I did not expect *that* at all The finale is easily 11/10 but it takes a while to get there

Around first 5 or 6 episodes I found everyone who is not Agah very boring, almost a snooze fest which I have to go through in order to understand what's going on. Especially Nevra, who seemed like your typical idealistic protagonist with added struggle of a woman in man's world. Agah carries that first half of the series, he's pretty funny guy actually. Follow him on his quest of revisiting old friends while Nevra slowly takes bigger and bigger role and very sharply becomes the focus of the story. Wait and see what all of those 53 similar looking men did to deserve the sticker on the forehead. You won't be dissappointed. I mean, you will detest them even if they're fictional but it makes a great story Avoid the spoilers like a plague and take the story as It goes. Warning -it's a lot. It's heavy, it's scary, it leaves a knot somewhere inside that hard to untangle. Because it is very much real. It certainly happened in the past, And it might as well be happening right now. And although this series ends on a positive note, justice isn't that common in the real world sadly.

Another review from IMDB...

This is an excellent series. This is the first Turkish series I've ever watched and this is just awesome. From the very first episode till the last, it is one gripping series with the excellent writing. The writing in the series is phenomenal... one perfect crime drama with brilliant story, great screenplay, great direction, amazing cinematography, class soundtrack and top-notch acting by all the cast members. The framing, cuts end edits, the music, colours; all of them complement and support the setting beautifully. The performance from the whole cast is just flawless.

In the whole series, I loved the character 'Nevra Elmas' perfectly portrayed by "Cansu Dere". She is one good person and a good cop; She's dedicated, intelligent, vulnerable and most importantly, a proper badass. Obviously, 'Agâh Beyoglu' portrayed by "Haluk Bilginer" is phenomenal. He is impeccable in his role. The regular cat and mouse chase is made really captivating with is brilliant writing. Sahsiyet is fresh and original. The motive of the series is just superb. The storytelling is brilliant and I really loved how the series unfolds the mystery that has been maintaining from the first episode. And the last episode does justice for the whole series. It is a highly original and inventive story, which builds to a deeply affecting conclusion.

The series is filled with emotions and a fascinating storytelling from Hakan Günday directed by Onur Saylak. The character development is great, and very good reflection of the society. It has well deserved cinematography, appeal, timing, and pace. It is slow at times, and yet thoughtful and decisive. Above all, the last two episodes had a dreadful atmosphere, and i think, that was something which sums up to all the reasons the firsts ten episodes left an impression on me.

My Take – A necessary watch😊 

Cheers till next time😊!!