although it is too hard to provide humor and dark tones in a film at the same time without creating an unwatchable Kafkaesque comedy ( we have tones of very bad examples of Cohen brothers-like screenplays even coming from themselves) , brilliant screenplay with great directing and acting make it so easy to eyes. it takes you in a roller coaster of colorful characters who welcome you at the first 10 minutes and let you become one of them, eat, starve and thrill at the same time. director and writer Tolga Karacelik has vivid style and sense of humor that are all his own and he sets his benchmarks for his future titles in this movie. must see!
16 Reviews
Right on Time
w-vds20 October 2015
If you're a thinker, this film is definitely on your watch list with high(est) priority. If you're not really a thinker, this film might have the power to inspire you to do so anyway.. so be warned!
The timing seems to be perfect; the message it tries to convey is delightfully relevant to the confusing times of today. Tolga Karaçelik had the capacity to see this enabling him to crystallize this vision graciously weaving it into a beautiful form; a film that speaks vividly not only to the eye but also to the mind and emotions of the receiver. You will be challenged!
What do you do if the the root of the problem has grown so thick that it seems impossible to eradicate it without the requirement of suffering and sacrifice? What will it take to inspire, enable us to move forward again when we're stuck, stranded and have no heading?
Tolga Karaçelik has proved himself to be a gifted story teller. His voice strikes true and with strength yet remains grounded in its efficient and charming simplicity.
The timing seems to be perfect; the message it tries to convey is delightfully relevant to the confusing times of today. Tolga Karaçelik had the capacity to see this enabling him to crystallize this vision graciously weaving it into a beautiful form; a film that speaks vividly not only to the eye but also to the mind and emotions of the receiver. You will be challenged!
What do you do if the the root of the problem has grown so thick that it seems impossible to eradicate it without the requirement of suffering and sacrifice? What will it take to inspire, enable us to move forward again when we're stuck, stranded and have no heading?
Tolga Karaçelik has proved himself to be a gifted story teller. His voice strikes true and with strength yet remains grounded in its efficient and charming simplicity.
I loved it
tarikbugrad16 April 2020
Who would have thought that I would type my first review for a Turkish movie? One of the best pieces I've seen amongst Turkish movies. While it is a philosophical,metaphorical movie it's on the other hand actually really interesting and enjoyable to watch. Acting is phenomenal and cinematography is unexpectedly fine. Can't believe this movie made in 2015 and never heard of it before. I think it definetely deserves a chance to watch. Let's make people watch the Turkish goldies.
And from now on Deniz Ustu Kopurur song by Cem Karaca is something different for me. Oh dear god, why this movie had to end?
And from now on Deniz Ustu Kopurur song by Cem Karaca is something different for me. Oh dear god, why this movie had to end?
Poison Ivy.
morrison-dylan-fan25 November 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Despite being aware of the vast quantity of films that the country has made, I have somehow never had the chance to take a glimpse of Turkish cinema. Seeing this title chosen for the main part of the ICM Film Fest,I got set for my first taste of Turkish delight.
The plot:
Making preparations for the ship to reach port, captain Beybaba gets a call revealing that the shipping company has gone bust,and that the owner of the ship has run off. Wanting to get paid for the job,Beybaba is told that in order to get paid,the ship must not stop at port,and a handful of crew must remain on ship. Waving goodbye to most of the crew,Beybaba and the remaining crew buckle down to carry basic work out on the anchored ship. Finding their time waiting for their wage on the ship to grow from weeks to months,the crew start getting frustrated, and feelings in the ship become as poisonous as ivy.
View on the film:
Working on actual ships before going behind the camera, writer/director Tolga Karaçelik & cinematographer Gökhan Tiryaki crank up an incredibly isolated atmosphere that follows crew members down cramp corridors that have a submarine-level depth of limitation,and the jagged hammering of metal on the soundtrack catching the eerie silence at sea. Leaving a bare bones crew on deck, Karaçelik initially uses wide-shots to give each of them a relative level of space over the first few weeks, which get gradually worn-down by stylishly closing in on the outbursts of tension,as the crew become wrapped in a supernatural chill.
Drilling into the frustrations of each crew member, the screenplay by Tolga Karaçelik casts the net to the thoughtful allegorical, with the chain of command being a battle between the corrupt elite, (who care so little for the crew,that they are prepared to leave them strained for months) and the worker caught in the daily grind of the machine,with the ghostly shadow of an "independent" Kurd always in the background. While exploring the allegorical, Karaçelik does not let any cracking tension to seep out into the water,as the crews times on the ship turns into that of a hostage situation,gripped by them waiting for the payment to arrive for their freedom, as ivy climbs up the walls of the ship.
The plot:
Making preparations for the ship to reach port, captain Beybaba gets a call revealing that the shipping company has gone bust,and that the owner of the ship has run off. Wanting to get paid for the job,Beybaba is told that in order to get paid,the ship must not stop at port,and a handful of crew must remain on ship. Waving goodbye to most of the crew,Beybaba and the remaining crew buckle down to carry basic work out on the anchored ship. Finding their time waiting for their wage on the ship to grow from weeks to months,the crew start getting frustrated, and feelings in the ship become as poisonous as ivy.
View on the film:
Working on actual ships before going behind the camera, writer/director Tolga Karaçelik & cinematographer Gökhan Tiryaki crank up an incredibly isolated atmosphere that follows crew members down cramp corridors that have a submarine-level depth of limitation,and the jagged hammering of metal on the soundtrack catching the eerie silence at sea. Leaving a bare bones crew on deck, Karaçelik initially uses wide-shots to give each of them a relative level of space over the first few weeks, which get gradually worn-down by stylishly closing in on the outbursts of tension,as the crew become wrapped in a supernatural chill.
Drilling into the frustrations of each crew member, the screenplay by Tolga Karaçelik casts the net to the thoughtful allegorical, with the chain of command being a battle between the corrupt elite, (who care so little for the crew,that they are prepared to leave them strained for months) and the worker caught in the daily grind of the machine,with the ghostly shadow of an "independent" Kurd always in the background. While exploring the allegorical, Karaçelik does not let any cracking tension to seep out into the water,as the crews times on the ship turns into that of a hostage situation,gripped by them waiting for the payment to arrive for their freedom, as ivy climbs up the walls of the ship.
A masterpiece
demokanatasoy20 July 2019
This is one of the best psychological thrillers I've ever watched. The vision, use of music and sound, editing and most of all, perfection of dialogue. Creating tension step by step with characters that are so unpredictable that anything can happen at any moment! The turn, into supernatural was so natural that even the characters ignore that and kept going like everything was normal! If this movie was made in the u.s. the world was still talking about it...
Good
alpcentufekci27 August 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Sarmasik has taken my attention since I learned that it won 4 awards (best film, best director, best actor and best screenplay) at Golden Orange Film Festival in Antalya.
Let's say I watch a film and I don't know that it is directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. I can say "This can be a Nuri Bilge Ceylan film" while watching it. I mean, the directors have their own styles. The young directors can be effected by masters, but Tolga Karaçelik differs from other young directors as it seems that he has already his own style. He has a great potential and the expectation from him is very high from now on.
With a few words; the story is about six men who have to stay on a ship anchored far from the coast. The longer they stay on the ship, the more they get nervous.
I don't want to give so much details about the film, but I would like to share two scenes I like so much in the film:
Cenk plays and sings "Deniz Üstü Köpürür" after he tells his story. Deniz Üstü Köpürür (a popular song by Cem Karaca) means "The Surface of The Sea Foams" in Turkish. (It is a good example of using a soundtrack in a film)
The captain of the ship talks to the crew on the open deck. When he is about to leave there, a hammer is thrown towards him. He takes the hammer from the floor, He orders Cenk to take it from him and put it in its box. (This is one of the subjects questioned in the film: authority fight)
Good screenplay (with realistic dialogues), successful story development and great performance of the cast (especially Nadir Saribacak as Cenk) make Sarmasik a good film.
As a summary, the surface of the sea foams...
Bravo!
8/10
Let's say I watch a film and I don't know that it is directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. I can say "This can be a Nuri Bilge Ceylan film" while watching it. I mean, the directors have their own styles. The young directors can be effected by masters, but Tolga Karaçelik differs from other young directors as it seems that he has already his own style. He has a great potential and the expectation from him is very high from now on.
With a few words; the story is about six men who have to stay on a ship anchored far from the coast. The longer they stay on the ship, the more they get nervous.
I don't want to give so much details about the film, but I would like to share two scenes I like so much in the film:
Cenk plays and sings "Deniz Üstü Köpürür" after he tells his story. Deniz Üstü Köpürür (a popular song by Cem Karaca) means "The Surface of The Sea Foams" in Turkish. (It is a good example of using a soundtrack in a film)
The captain of the ship talks to the crew on the open deck. When he is about to leave there, a hammer is thrown towards him. He takes the hammer from the floor, He orders Cenk to take it from him and put it in its box. (This is one of the subjects questioned in the film: authority fight)
Good screenplay (with realistic dialogues), successful story development and great performance of the cast (especially Nadir Saribacak as Cenk) make Sarmasik a good film.
As a summary, the surface of the sea foams...
Bravo!
8/10
Well crafted movie
sorokous26 September 2019
Interesting... right up until it wasn't
gmac-917 December 2021
Things are happening. Suspense is building. Then some loose ends unfold and the credits roll. Thanks for nothing. There are films that leave the viewer to fill in some blanks, I get it... but this movie didn't guide us toward anything less than a million possible conclusions.
IT'S A REAL THRILLER MOVIE
berkeyegen1 September 2021
I believe every movie should be judged from its best side first. Even though ''Ivy'' ends with an open-ended ending, it is a movie that should be given a chance because of the actors' acting as if you were watching from there, and a real sense of tension that gradually builds up.
What to do when there is nothing to do
tenshi_ippikiookami17 May 2017
"Sarmaşık" is a little surprise, a gripping and twisting story about six men that have to stay on board a ship when the owner of the cargo ship goes bankrupt. Till the owner is found and things can be resolved, the six men will try to keep the ship clean and in good condition. The group includes the captain, an experienced sailor, a guy that works in the kitchen, a silent and very very tall guy and a couple of pot smokers... Pretty soon things turn sour.
The film is a study about solitude, the purposeless of life, the power fights between men... And it does a great job in delivering in all of those topics. The focus is clear, the direction tight and the acting helps. The characters are a little bit archetype (you know who is going to be trouble from second one) and it plays its cards with too much ambiguity (it tries to leave options open to the viewer, but sometimes it backfires). But those are minor problems, and the slow-burning pace and amazing atmosphere are the cherry on the top of a great movie, really worth checking.
The film is a study about solitude, the purposeless of life, the power fights between men... And it does a great job in delivering in all of those topics. The focus is clear, the direction tight and the acting helps. The characters are a little bit archetype (you know who is going to be trouble from second one) and it plays its cards with too much ambiguity (it tries to leave options open to the viewer, but sometimes it backfires). But those are minor problems, and the slow-burning pace and amazing atmosphere are the cherry on the top of a great movie, really worth checking.
Another one without an end
m_durukal23 April 2020
Yeah, it is reflecting the inner status of people who have to be in the same place together and Their emotions. they have to put up with others. It reflects life. Sometimes you try to pull someone close to you to construct a unity in a population. But so what? Personally I don't like stories without a powerful end.
It looks like, first days of school life
Orhan_Akdeniz22 October 2018
Worth to watch
berke87522 March 2020
A good Turkish Movie based on a strong-psychological structure. The Movie shows authority and its methods and gives a real thriller feeling with successful actor performances and realistic atmosphere.Also, We can say that Each character includes a social class in Turkey.
A good thrilling movie
olcayozfirat25 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Turkish thriller movie made in 2015. The film creates curiosity in the audience and is watched with interest. The slightly increasing tension also includes the person watching. I read reviews about the movie. Such deep analyzes and analyzes have been made. Things I never thought of while watching. Good thing I didn't read these comments before watching the movie. No ship was Turkey, no people were training in the country etc. If we look at it from that perspective, there is an authority and those who oppose it in every movie. By God, I watched the movie as 6 different men. The ship is impounded and moored off the harbor with the crew. While the staff have problems with food, money and general needs, they also start to clash with each other. It is neither a magnificent masterpiece nor a bad movie as much as it is praised. Watching with interest.
--- 'spoilers' ---
But unfortunately it also ends in curiosity. With a lot of uncertainty. Lastly, I hate movies that don't end up without a plot.
--- 'spoilers' ---
Cem Karaca's Sea Surface Foaming song fits and fits the movie so well. How delightful.
There is no sex or nudity in the movie. But there is a lot of sexually themed profanity.
--- 'spoilers' ---
But unfortunately it also ends in curiosity. With a lot of uncertainty. Lastly, I hate movies that don't end up without a plot.
--- 'spoilers' ---
Cem Karaca's Sea Surface Foaming song fits and fits the movie so well. How delightful.
There is no sex or nudity in the movie. But there is a lot of sexually themed profanity.
Uninteresting
axapvov18 August 2021
The film soon runs out of thing to say and is reduced to characters screaming for nearly an hour. At each other, on their own... having the same discussion twice, three, four times... Unsatisfying end to a very timid film that doesn't really speak up about isolation, chain of command... Some allegories might be lost in translation but still there's just not enough positioning on the main themes.
It isn't terrible, it has its own flow and confidence, the setting is cool and it is gripping how the situation naturally becomes surreal. Maybe that's why this was a rather frustrating experience. I wish I knew what to make of it so I feel the urge to give a heads-up to potential non-turkish viewers.
It isn't terrible, it has its own flow and confidence, the setting is cool and it is gripping how the situation naturally becomes surreal. Maybe that's why this was a rather frustrating experience. I wish I knew what to make of it so I feel the urge to give a heads-up to potential non-turkish viewers.
7.2/10. Recommended
athanasiosze23 March 2024
This is the second Turkish movie i watch. (First one was ONCE UPON A TIME IN ANATOLIA, by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, 2011. My rating was exactly the same, 7.2/10). I should probably watch other Turkish movies as well, seems that neighboring country has a lot to offer in World's cinema.
This is a good psychological drama/thriller. Increasingly intense as it is progressing. The biggest quality here is acting, great actors, each one of them. The whole premise overall is not that convincing/realistic but those actors made it work. You might guess a thing or two, i mean, don't expect mindblowing twists and turns. But if you like this genre, you'll like this too. Claustrophobic, good pace, well directed. There is a nice "surreal/fantasy" element but it is still a psychological thriller, with real people and their struggles. I would have rated it even higher if it had a proper ending, this was too abrupt and open for interpretation. Still, i was not disappointed. I think i know what's gonna happen after the final scene.
This is a good psychological drama/thriller. Increasingly intense as it is progressing. The biggest quality here is acting, great actors, each one of them. The whole premise overall is not that convincing/realistic but those actors made it work. You might guess a thing or two, i mean, don't expect mindblowing twists and turns. But if you like this genre, you'll like this too. Claustrophobic, good pace, well directed. There is a nice "surreal/fantasy" element but it is still a psychological thriller, with real people and their struggles. I would have rated it even higher if it had a proper ending, this was too abrupt and open for interpretation. Still, i was not disappointed. I think i know what's gonna happen after the final scene.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
