Turkey's answer to 'It's A Wonderful Life'
rick murphy
One rose alone cannot make a spring, as the old saying goes. I would
say a good start for freedom of religion in Turkey only when a
military officer (commissioned or non-commissioned) is not fired from
military when he/she converts to a non-Moslem religion, and citizens
of non-Moslem religions are hired as military officers, govermnt
employees, ministers of Turksih goverment, political parties, etc,.
Even Saddam, one of the most brutal butchers of human history, had a
Christian minister in his goverment. Throughout Eurepean countries,
peoples of Turkish descent are in local and national goverments as
goverment ministers and MPs. What the hell wrong with Turkiye!!!
##############
Turkey's answer to 'It's A Wonderful Life'
Friday, December 4, 2009
EMRAH GÜLER
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News
Turkey's very first Christmas movie comes from the respected writer,
director and actor Yılmaz Erdoğan. In 'Neşeli Hayat' (A Cheerful
Life), Yılmaz puts on a Santa Claus suit, shouts an awkward 'Ho, ho,
ho!' at a crowded shopping mall and meets with the ghosts of past,
present and future
Turkey’s first Christmas movie comes to theaters ironically right
around the bayram holiday. “Neşeli Hayat” (A Cheerful Life) places
Santa Claus at its center and tells a heart-warming tale of new
beginnings in the Hollywood tradition.
Yılmaz Erdoğan returns after an absence of four years since his
immensely popular “Organize İşler” (Magic Carpet Ride), once again
writing, directing and starring in this most accomplished work of his
movie career.
Erdoğan stars as Rıza, a working-class man who has twice blown his
chance to set up his own business. His first attempt at turning his
talent at cooking into a career ended in failure when he opened his
own restaurant, only to shut it down soon after.
His second attempt is even more of a disappointment as his family
savings and dreams of moving into a villa and moving up a notch into
the middle class all come crashing down in a pyramid scheme. The
collapse of the scheme ends in even more terrible results since Rıza
had convinced his friends to put money into this initially promising
business as well.
The last shred of dignity he had leaves him as Rıza takes odd jobs
such as dressing up in giant slippers and other promotional materials
at football stadiums. His latest work comes in the form of a month-
long job as Santa Claus in a toy shop in one of Istanbul’s new
shopping malls. Rıza has no idea who Santa Claus is, but he puts on
the giant belly, mustache and beard while practicing the obligatory
“Ho, ho, ho!”
His wife, Ayla (Büşra Pekin), stays at home and tries her best to
contribute to the family income with handicrafts she makes at home.
Her concerns include more than making ends meet, however; she force-
feeds aphrodisiac honey to her husband every night in the hopes of
conceiving a child.
Ayla’s layabout brother Lokman (Ersin Korkut), meanwhile, is the third
person in a house with no steady income. Lokman’s impending wedding
and a lawsuit initiated by Rıza’s aggrieved friends up the pressure on
the protagonist as he continues his job of bringing joy to the
children of the upper-middle class in a suit he finds totally
meaningless.
A unique take on the Christmas spirit
The Santa Claus costume Rıza has to wear day after day, along with the
alien culture to which it belongs, have a strange effect on his life,
however, as he faces the metaphorical ghosts of past, present and
future.
Interestingly, “Neşeli Hayat” shares the spirit of Christmas classics
such as Frank Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life” and many adaptations of
Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” The same sense of melancholy and hope
emanating from the film makes it a unique Christmas movie coming from
a Muslim culture.
Erdoğan shares the screen with colleagues from his comedy club, BKM
Mutfak. Relatively unknown names such as Pekin and Korkut, along with
familiar names from Erdoğan’s previous films, such as Erdal Tosun and
Cezmi Baskın, all shine in the film.
Many Turkish moviegoers are likely to compare the movie to Erdoğan’s
previous films, “Vizontele,” “Vizontele Tuuba” and “Organize İşler,”
expecting a similar comedy reminiscent of his work onstage and on
television, a comedy of multiple eccentric characters.
“Neşeli Hayat,” however, is unique in Erdoğan’s filmography as he
strays from his trademark brand of comedy and tells the story of a
single man.
Unlike what some of the promotional material says, the movie is not a
comedy. The funny bits come from Erdoğan’s sharp observations of the
everyday man and his accurate take on class differences in Turkey.
The lower-class district in which the main characters live is
immediately adjacent to the upper-class shopping mall with its
designer shops. Unlike many recent Turkish movies, however, the
classes are not depicted as differing vastly from one another.
“Neşeli Hayat” will leave those who have no previous knowledge of
Santa Claus ready to embrace this newfound personality with famous
Turkish hospitality and call him “Efendi Claus."
choro
> One rose alone cannot make a spring, as the old saying goes. I would
> say a good start for freedom of religion in Turkey only when a
> military officer (commissioned or non-commissioned) is not fired from
> military when he/she converts to a non-Moslem religion, and citizens
> of non-Moslem religions are hired as military officers, govermnt
> employees, ministers of Turksih goverment, political parties, etc,.
> Even Saddam, one of the most brutal butchers of human history, had a
> Christian minister in his goverment.
And we later heard he was an asset. Planted right in the middle of the
Saddam cabinet!
Hey, rick or dick or whatever you are, can't you ever get anything straight?
Not even your dick? Not even with both hands?
Oh bwoy, oh bwoy...
In you we've got a right proper dick here, haven't we? ;-)
--
choro
*******
Throughout Eurepean countries,
> peoples of Turkish descent are in local and national goverments as
> goverment ministers and MPs. What the hell wrong with Turkiye!!!
>
> ##############
>
>
> http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey8217s-answer-to-8216it8217s-a-wonderful-life8217-2009-12-04
>
> Turkey's answer to 'It's A Wonderful Life'
>
> Friday, December 4, 2009
>
> EMRAH G�LER
> ISTANBUL - H�rriyet Daily News
>
> Turkey's very first Christmas movie comes from the respected writer,
> director and actor Yilmaz Erdogan. In 'Neseli Hayat' (A Cheerful
> Life), Yilmaz puts on a Santa Claus suit, shouts an awkward 'Ho, ho,
> ho!' at a crowded shopping mall and meets with the ghosts of past,
> present and future
>
> Turkey's first Christmas movie comes to theaters ironically right
> around the bayram holiday. "Neseli Hayat" (A Cheerful Life) places
> Santa Claus at its center and tells a heart-warming tale of new
> beginnings in the Hollywood tradition.
>
> Yilmaz Erdogan returns after an absence of four years since his
> immensely popular "Organize Isler" (Magic Carpet Ride), once again
> writing, directing and starring in this most accomplished work of his
> movie career.
>
> Erdogan stars as Riza, a working-class man who has twice blown his
> chance to set up his own business. His first attempt at turning his
> talent at cooking into a career ended in failure when he opened his
> own restaurant, only to shut it down soon after.
>
> His second attempt is even more of a disappointment as his family
> savings and dreams of moving into a villa and moving up a notch into
> the middle class all come crashing down in a pyramid scheme. The
> collapse of the scheme ends in even more terrible results since Riza
> had convinced his friends to put money into this initially promising
> business as well.
>
> The last shred of dignity he had leaves him as Riza takes odd jobs
> such as dressing up in giant slippers and other promotional materials
> at football stadiums. His latest work comes in the form of a month-
> long job as Santa Claus in a toy shop in one of Istanbul's new
> shopping malls. Riza has no idea who Santa Claus is, but he puts on
> the giant belly, mustache and beard while practicing the obligatory
> "Ho, ho, ho!"
>
> His wife, Ayla (B�sra Pekin), stays at home and tries her best to
> contribute to the family income with handicrafts she makes at home.
> Her concerns include more than making ends meet, however; she force-
> feeds aphrodisiac honey to her husband every night in the hopes of
> conceiving a child.
>
> Ayla's layabout brother Lokman (Ersin Korkut), meanwhile, is the third
> person in a house with no steady income. Lokman's impending wedding
> and a lawsuit initiated by Riza's aggrieved friends up the pressure on
> the protagonist as he continues his job of bringing joy to the
> children of the upper-middle class in a suit he finds totally
> meaningless.
>
> A unique take on the Christmas spirit
>
> The Santa Claus costume Riza has to wear day after day, along with the
> alien culture to which it belongs, have a strange effect on his life,
> however, as he faces the metaphorical ghosts of past, present and
> future.
>
> Interestingly, "Neseli Hayat" shares the spirit of Christmas classics
> such as Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" and many adaptations of
> Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." The same sense of melancholy and hope
> emanating from the film makes it a unique Christmas movie coming from
> a Muslim culture.
>
> Erdogan shares the screen with colleagues from his comedy club, BKM
> Mutfak. Relatively unknown names such as Pekin and Korkut, along with
> familiar names from Erdogan's previous films, such as Erdal Tosun and
> Cezmi Baskin, all shine in the film.
>
> Many Turkish moviegoers are likely to compare the movie to Erdogan's
> previous films, "Vizontele," "Vizontele Tuuba" and "Organize Isler,"
> expecting a similar comedy reminiscent of his work onstage and on
> television, a comedy of multiple eccentric characters.
>
> "Neseli Hayat," however, is unique in Erdogan's filmography as he
> strays from his trademark brand of comedy and tells the story of a
> single man.
>
> Unlike what some of the promotional material says, the movie is not a
> comedy. The funny bits come from Erdogan's sharp observations of the
> everyday man and his accurate take on class differences in Turkey.
>
> The lower-class district in which the main characters live is
> immediately adjacent to the upper-class shopping mall with its
> designer shops. Unlike many recent Turkish movies, however, the
> classes are not depicted as differing vastly from one another.
>
> "Neseli Hayat" will leave those who have no previous knowledge of