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Yargi (2021)
Beautifully executed and addictive Drama. TOP CLASS!!
Now THIS is worth watching from start to end. Excellent acting, storyline, production.
Kaan and Pinar were brilliant!! ....but then, so was the entire cast !!
I loved Kaan and Pinar's ying and yang opposites attract roles. Yes Pinar was annoying..she played her character exactly as intended.
I couldn't help but fall in love with the sweet temperament of Ugar Aslan, loved to hate Ugar Polat, and thoroughly enjoyed Mehmet Yilmaz's performance (seems like the character was on the autism scale with his inability to connect in what we consider normal ways) I cant keep naming all the actors/characters, but they all deserve high credit
Ay Yapim Scores again!!!..Really hope another season is in store.
Yemin (2019)
Watch only if you love bad soap operas/telenovelas. Far better Turkish dramas are out there
Despite having some noteworthy break out actors, this is a horrible production- from writing to direction on ALL fronts
1. Overuse of literary devices: flashbacks add noting except as time fillers. Each episode has about 15 minutes of flashbacks , repeated multiple times.
2. Slow pace: literally you can watch episodes 1, 6. Then you can jump to 20: you have missed NOTHING in between. I read summaries and fast forwarded A LOT to get though the 503 episodes. Seasons 2 and 4 were the best in my opinion. 3 was ok and 1 was a total waste of time. They could have done the whole thing in 2 seasons ( 1 & 2 = 1 season, 3 & 4= 1 season) and it would be so much better.
3. Weak Characters: weeping, overly submissive, silent females "portrayed as good religious girls" and the few successful/educated/career women are all portrayed as loose/evil. The writer had an opportunity to present traditional religious women in a better light, but failed to do so. They claim they don't lie: yet the silence and omissions are all sources of intentional lies. Funny enough Fans fell in love with the first female lead, hated the second and third. All of whom had talent that could have been nurtured and developed but suffered a bad script. ALL of the "good" women suffered from martyr syndromes and the last female lead-Gulperi obviously suffered from Stockholm syndrome, which wasn't diagnosed nor treated. Her illness was simply treated as weakness. A lost opportunity here
4. Main MALE lead: what a star!! He was excellent. Although his character had a saviour complex which was highly illogical, and also abusive. The fact that Misogynistic men were portrayed as "strong", is definitely a pet peeve.
5. Overall NONE of the characters displayed the acumen commensurate with the jobs/social status they had. A lawyer who was inept where the law was concerned, a business tycoon who doesn't read contracts, nor check references, a female Doctor who is a brain surgeon, an internist, an ambulance doctor..just about any type of medicine needed.yet had the most flawed decision making skills (Martyr syndrome plus stubbornness)
6. Sloppy Direction: Time lapses which made no sense, Clothes in the same time sequence being changed and reverted( since its obviously filmed at different times and they forgot the continuity of the scene) Characters wearing the exact same clothes for DAAAAAAYS, How low budget was this production It would have been better if they simply invested in 5 outfits to indicate passage of time (per character), Sloppy set: A mural in the main house that the paint spilled outside of the mural borders , Ambiguity in season 3 between love and obligation with the main characters. If it were AY Yapim, we would know its intentional, but given the sloppy mess of this production, I would say its a falure in Direction
7. Overall: The very same plot line repeated over and over and over and over: mental illness, abuse, kidnap, coma, imprisonment and of course: main characters get shot x 3 seasons. LAZY writing.
8. Lets end on a positive Note: Emir was the biggest Star, Chavidan was impressive, Reyhan showed some growth beyond crying, Kemal and Narin were a sweet couple with the nicest smiles, although I couldn't stand the "gold fish" gaping that Narin defaulted to. Gulperi was nice to look at, had some outstanding moments, but again suffered from a ridiculous script which made her tiresome. The young talent was also so cute. I am looking forward to whats next for these actors, and hope they will get to work with a "REAL" production company with quality scripts.
Kara Para Ask (2014)
Mixed acting...dragged on too long
This could have been a much better series if the writers exercised better judgement and didn't insult the viewers intelligence so much.
Tuba/ Elif is fantastic. She moves seamlessly from being bratty, to loving to angry very credible performance. Omer's single expression of half sneers/smiles was painful to watch. Lacked the ability to convey emotion.
As for that Nulifer :How can someone be paid to just cry in 160 episodes? Pathetic. Annoyed me to the core
Husayin, Metin, Tayaar and Nedret gave great performances. Ashli too.
Overall it dragged on too long and could have been better. Watch if you have nothing else to do.
Iffet (2011)
Fantastic Story of Tradition, Abuse, Love and Tragedy
Iffet was a difficult yet riveting watch. The level of physical abuse, misogyny, and oppression was a study of love and family in a traditional patriarchal society.
Deniz Cakir was outstanding as the main character: Iffet was a convincing character besieged by a life of misfortune. I was annoyed that the writers did not allow much personal growth and display of strength, but rather had her remain attached to her constant state of sadness, her unnecessary self-sabotage and weakness (painted as goodness). It grew tedious to watch. Her wide innocence and gentle falsetto tones at the start was endearing.
To be honext, I watched this series just for Ibrahim Celikkol. And as always, he was amazing as the Main Love Interest: Cemil is the perfect handsome abusive anti-hero. Many convincing and painful scenes to watch which included a surprising depiction of rape...Very surprising particularly for a Turkish Drama which tends to be more conservative (By north American Standards). Ibrahim was a total star in his role portrayal. The writers however allowed several redemption arcs which endeared him despite his horrible temper and many faults. I am not sure a female writer would have given the character so many redemptive opportunities, and I found that I grew annoyed with myself when he won my sympathy!! Thats a tribute to excellect writing, acting and directing!!.
Other fantastic actors were
Memet Cevik as Ifett's Father. Her was excellent in the role,,,although the bulging wide eyed look was overused.
Mahir Gunsiray as Ali Ihsan perfected the Psychopathic role. This for me was the most surprising development.
Zuhal Olcay as Dilek, Melike Guner as Betul and Birsen Durulu were excellent antagonists. Again, I wished the writers gave Dilek an arc opportunity, or at least let us understand her pathology
Overall, the series would have scored 9/10 if they didn't rely so heavily on the retrospective scenes, We don't need to see the memory collages so frequently, they were unnecessary time fillers.
I hated 3 things about the script - The return to poverty made no sense given the opportunities and mentorship. I would have liked to see a more successful outcome. The second disappointment was the ridicuolous parenting relationship with Mehmet,,,when they live in front of each other. And of course the biggest disappointment is the end...but then Turkish writers are committed to annoying their audiences with the most unhappy endings they can think of.
Kiralik Ask (2015)
Fantastic chemistry between Dephne and Omer!!
I honestly don't always like Rom Coms based on the predictability of the storyline, but this one was a sweet production based on the strong chemistry between the main stars and the general friend group
I thought the comedic characters were annoying and overdone, and I had to skip through almost all of Koray's scene. Less of him would have been better.
The writers could also have done far more to develop Dephnes bravery over time. The same run from situations because of fears and telling stupid lies for no good reason was characteristic of season 2. And it was annoying. However, I LOVED Omer and his chapter growth, I loved Iso and his depth, and Sinan and his sweet natured naïveté
A happy ending for all... although I would have loved to see Nuro and Koray get what they deserved. If you like RomComs then This one is for you!!
Kördügüm (2016)
Brilliant. Not your typical Love trope
This series takes you on a roller coaster journey and avoids the typical end, which for me was a delight. It is a very strong portrayal of family, betrayal, loss, hurt and the quest for wholeness. The villains are excellent and consistent in thier roles. Ali as the Central Character becomes more broken as the series progresses, and it's nice to see Ibrahim play a more vulnerable role, although he defaulted somewhat to his " killer stares and stony face". (I want to see him play a lighter softer happier role to show more range.)
Ali's character deserved to have healing. He deserved someone who believed in him and encouraged his dreams... and sadly that was not Naz. Naz was a complex character. Although sweet and kind and fierce, she was also spoilt and selfish.. her dreams and wishes took center stage in both her relationships, no doubt encouraged by her doting mother. She got to fulfill her mothering role through Kaan, and was not as committed to helping Ali achieve his dreams. I am not sad that events prevented marriage.
Ali's first love - Eylul should have been played by a stronger actress. The actress lacked the depth needed for Ali's healing and came across a bit like a " bubblegum school girl " But that's the weakness of the actress and not the role. The role provided for Ali's need for someone to love him as he was and to believe in him. I think if the actresses switched roles and Belcim Bilgim played Eyul, nobody would Miss Naz. Belcim is just a better actress.
The writers did not use sufficient elements to convey the movement of time, nor were they sensitive to the trauma of Kaan. A new girl could not possibly be introduced so quickly. Serious writing flaw. No additional time needed to be spent, just scenic and a few dialogue changes to convey the passage of time. A missed opportunity to improve a good script. My final comment on the writing: Isol was a totally unnecessary character. I fast forwarded through all the inane attempts at comedic levity. It's a drama not a comedy and it only serves to annoy me. Dumb character.
The plot twists at the end left room for a season 4... if ever the writers/ Netflix want to resume... and I think they should!
Sooo watch with an open mind and just don't expect the tired love trope!!!
Dogdugun Ev Kaderindir (2019)
Great POV!
Compelling POV, great plot and overall strong acting, but the permanently bewildered expression of Demet/Zeynep drove me insane. Would have loved to see greater range even for an overwhelmed naive 23 year old. That alone made me reduce the score from what could easily have been an 8 to a 6.