178. Paper Lives (Kagittan Hayatlar); movie review

 

 

PAPER LIVES (KAGITTAN HAYATLAR)

Cert 15

97 mins

BBFC advice: illness theme, child abuse theme, language, drug misuse

Has the world really moved on so little since Dickens wrote Oliver Twist?

In the 19th century, street urchins were not uncommon and the great author based his masterpiece on those who picked pockets in London.

Move on more than 100 years and Can Ulkay's Paper Lives has loud echoes of The Artful Dodger's gang.

But this time a group of homeless orphans has a leader who is more benevolent than Fagin, in the shape of Mehmet (Çagatay Ulusoy).

The latter has severe kidney disease and nearly dies in the movie's opening scenes but, as he waits for an operation, continues his business of paper collection for recycling.

He employs a team of young men to scour the streets and they do so while smiling but also secretly sniffing glue to take away the hurt of losing their parents.

Then one day, Mehmet's best friend (Ersin Arici) wanders into another gang's territory and unwittingly comes home with a small boy in his paper sack.

It transpires that the boy (Emir Ali Dogrul) has been stowed away by his mother because of attacks by his stepfather.

Mehmet discovers him and is devastated by the way the boy has been abused and takes him under his wing.

However, his nearest and dearest believe that taking on more stress may threaten his already fragile health.

Ulusoy is the movie's pin-up - in virtually every scene and wringing a gamut of emotions from his character.

Unfortunately, his attachment to the boy, while laudable, seems too intense and his reactions to any setbacks in their relationship are bizarrely melodramatic.

That is until the very end when the mist of the movie dissipates and everything becomes clear prompting me to exhale out loud and say: "Ah, that's it!"

In the meantime, I have probably been put off for life from going to Istanbul thanks to this film and the documentary about stray dogs.

Reasons to watch: Intriguing street drama

Reasons to avoid: Far-fetched and melodramatic

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? In Turkey, there is a considerable problem of many thousands of street children, although their precise numbers vary from city to city and often depend on the season of the year. Police sources in İstanbul have reported that there were between six and seven thousand children on the streets.

The final word. Can Ulkay: "My sources of inspiration were the streets, and the children, and the paper collectors who call these streets home. The magic of Istanbul’s old streets and neighbourhoods offered another key source of inspiration for the story." Cagatay Ulusoy International

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