The final episode of the series was written and executed in style. The visuals were breathtaking. Time travel to the past is not possible with the time machine in HG Well's novel. But a wormhole is a theoretical possibility, transporting Saul Goodman to a part of the space-time continuum where Jimmy McGill can feel remorse and can sacrifice his remaining lifetime for his loved one. 1 point deduction for the Hollywood romantic cliché.
Reviews
5 Reviews
Meltdown: Three Mile Island
(2022)
Greed and collusion
4 May 2022
Warning: Spoilers
As an engineer of nearly four decades, I watched this remarkable documentary in disbelief. So much was put at risk by the plant operators and by the NRC which was a dysfunctional regulator. It seems there is still no admission of it today. The whistleblower sounded right, that nuclear power generation should probably not be a business for profit. Well, it was not in Chernobil, but disregard for public safety awareness was still the main issue there. Perhaps engineers need to be respected more when they point out the risks involved.
Winter Sleep
(2014)
A masterpiece from one of the greatest film makers of our time
20 June 2014
Winter Sleep is a masterpiece by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a film shining with literary eloquence and incisive social criticism.
Aydin ("intellectual" in Turkish) is a failed former actor, now a hotel owner with sufficient inheritance to make him command the stage as a condescending "king" of a village in Cappadocia. He feels licensed to instruct, intrude and judge, not only on his pitiable tenants, but also on his disaffected young wife Nihal and divorced self-doubting sister Necla. This sentiment ostensibly extends to poor, uneducated and religious classes of the country, making Aydin a stereotype of the Turkish elite. The brutal taming of the horse is an allegory of his marriage; young and pretty Nihal is just another decorative item in his life, not an individual with her own rights and pursuits. Aydin also epitomizes a male-dominated society, cutting across levels of education and affluence.
A glimmer of hope comes with a stone breaking the glass. While ruthlessly and decisively able to overpower everyone else in his reign, Aydin is disturbingly challenged by a stubborn 10 year-old boy Ilyas (Arabic equivalent of Elijah, a harbinger of the Messiah).
Putting the lens on the perpetually pretending psyche of the western-styled intellectual, Winter Sleep portrays the Turkish nation struggling between the East and the West. Aydin claims to have ideals and ideas but has no intention to make a difference for the good, does not even attempt to empathize with his fellow citizens. His articulate quote from Shakespeare echoes a confession.
It's no coincidence that Nuri Bilge Ceylan was charmed by Chekhov, a like-minded author from yet another nation torn between civilizations.
Hats off to 2014 Palme d'Or judges for their audacity. By recognizing the value of Ceylan's work, they have enticed global audiences to risk 3 hours 16 minutes of their time to a non-commercial film, a feast of cinematography and acting bundled with literary gratification.
Aydin ("intellectual" in Turkish) is a failed former actor, now a hotel owner with sufficient inheritance to make him command the stage as a condescending "king" of a village in Cappadocia. He feels licensed to instruct, intrude and judge, not only on his pitiable tenants, but also on his disaffected young wife Nihal and divorced self-doubting sister Necla. This sentiment ostensibly extends to poor, uneducated and religious classes of the country, making Aydin a stereotype of the Turkish elite. The brutal taming of the horse is an allegory of his marriage; young and pretty Nihal is just another decorative item in his life, not an individual with her own rights and pursuits. Aydin also epitomizes a male-dominated society, cutting across levels of education and affluence.
A glimmer of hope comes with a stone breaking the glass. While ruthlessly and decisively able to overpower everyone else in his reign, Aydin is disturbingly challenged by a stubborn 10 year-old boy Ilyas (Arabic equivalent of Elijah, a harbinger of the Messiah).
Putting the lens on the perpetually pretending psyche of the western-styled intellectual, Winter Sleep portrays the Turkish nation struggling between the East and the West. Aydin claims to have ideals and ideas but has no intention to make a difference for the good, does not even attempt to empathize with his fellow citizens. His articulate quote from Shakespeare echoes a confession.
It's no coincidence that Nuri Bilge Ceylan was charmed by Chekhov, a like-minded author from yet another nation torn between civilizations.
Hats off to 2014 Palme d'Or judges for their audacity. By recognizing the value of Ceylan's work, they have enticed global audiences to risk 3 hours 16 minutes of their time to a non-commercial film, a feast of cinematography and acting bundled with literary gratification.
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
(2011)
On human condition
4 November 2011
This movie does not betray any of Ceylan's qualities that were manifested in his earlier work. Besides, it reflects a growing self-confidence in portraying the people of his "beautiful and lonesome" country.
The ingeniously crafted personal stories of the characters is the film's biggest strength even surpassing the masterful photography. The suspect's motive to commit the murder is enigmatic, but perhaps a taboo keeps it that way. The doctor from the big city has reasons of the heart to be voluntarily stuck in this poor and dysfunctional existence. The public prosecutor's mind is preoccupied by a heartbreaking personal drama. The policeman desperately tries to cope with his own domestic tragedy. The village administrator wants to secure his third term by financing a fancy morgue in a village which does not even have uninterrupted electricity. The gendarme sergeant is obsessed with metrics and borders. So on and so forth. A murder investigation physically brings them together and they do a lousy job. Like ordinary people experience every day.
Ceylan's unique and witty touch makes you think. And thinking cannot be rushed.
The ingeniously crafted personal stories of the characters is the film's biggest strength even surpassing the masterful photography. The suspect's motive to commit the murder is enigmatic, but perhaps a taboo keeps it that way. The doctor from the big city has reasons of the heart to be voluntarily stuck in this poor and dysfunctional existence. The public prosecutor's mind is preoccupied by a heartbreaking personal drama. The policeman desperately tries to cope with his own domestic tragedy. The village administrator wants to secure his third term by financing a fancy morgue in a village which does not even have uninterrupted electricity. The gendarme sergeant is obsessed with metrics and borders. So on and so forth. A murder investigation physically brings them together and they do a lousy job. Like ordinary people experience every day.
Ceylan's unique and witty touch makes you think. And thinking cannot be rushed.
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