373. Ailecek Saskiniz; movie review

AILECEK SASKINIZ
Cert 15
114 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language

Again, my heart soared when I discovered that a movie which has been long-standing on my missing list became available on iTunes.
And, as it turns out, I am jolly glad that I didn't drive all the way to north London to see Ailecek Saskiniz when it appeared at cinemas there in March,
The is yet another slapstick Turkish comedy which is punctuated by pulling faces and irritating tinkling music.
As regular readers will know, Turkish comedy is a taste which I have yet to acquire. Frankly, I find most of it as subtle as a house brick.
At least this one is slightly different in that it has handsome if eccentric leads rather than the usual ugly ones which seem to tickle Turkish ribs.
Selçuk Aydemir's film stars Ahmet Kural as Fehrat - the tyrannical head of a company with 1,500 employees.

He forces them to work long hours as he bathes in the glory of his own importance, supported by his equally crazy childhood friend (Murat Cemcir) who is now his finance director.
However, his world is thrown upside down when a beautiful police officer (Saadet Aksoy) thwarts a raid on his home.
He falls in love at first sight and is determined, whatever the odds, on marrying the tough-as-nails detective.
And so, the rest of the film is dedicated to him trying to woo her, encouraged by her blustering father (Cengiz Bozkurt) whose head is turned by his money.
Inevitably, plans fail and there are misunderstandings aplenty but the conclusion is inevitable from the outset.
I was initially bored by Ailecek Saskiniz and struggled to get through its early stages - possibly because a few cultural references went over my head.
However, a couple of amusing rather than funny tangents gave it a bit of life in its second half.
Nevertheless, I cannot agree with one review which states that this is the funniest film of the year and describes it as a 'masterpiece'.
It is far from either.

Reasons to watch: Some have said it is the funniest Turkish film of the year
Reasons to avoid: I doubt the comedy will resonate with non-native speakers

Laughs: None for me
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 4.5/10

The big question - When will the Turks tire of face-pulling and slapstick?

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