POSSIBLY ONE OF THE BEST TURKISH FILMS EVER MADE : “MUSTAFA HAKKINDA HER ŞEY”

My job means that I watch many different films from many different countries. Turkey isn’t famous for its cinematic prowess as a general rule but in the last couple of years some truly world-class works have begun to emerge – take singer turned director Mahsun Kırmızıgül’s latest work “Five Minarets in New York” – there was a massive gala opening in New York and everything, it was ALL OVER the news… A couple of months back Semih Kaplanoğlu’s film “Bal” was honored at the Cannes Film Festival… That is why I decided to share with you “Mustafa Hakkında Her Şey” – translated as “Everything About Mustafa”. It’s quite a bit older than the “Five Minarets” and it’s not a showy action movie with special effects. However, anyone who wants to steer clear of flashy effects will tell you that THIS is one of the true masterpieces of Turkish cinema heralding many more great works to come…
Mustafa is, all in all, a happy man. He is the successful owner of an advertising agency. His marriage was a love match and he and his wife Ceren are very happy with their young son Kerem. At least, this is what Mustafa thinks when, on what starts off as a perfectly normal day, his wife Ceren is killed in a traffic accident. This tragic event proves a Pandora’s Box for Mustafa – his wife is killed returning to İstanbul from some distance away from the city; from a place where Mustafa had no idea she had any business. There is a young man with her in the car called Fikret that he has never seen and who is gravely injured… Mustafa must know the truth about his wife’s secret life. And he can see only one way of accomplishing this. He kidnaps Fikret out of hospital and takes them to his family’s abandoned summer house. He ties him to a chair and begins questioning him about his relationship with his wife. As the hours go by, the conversation becomes stranger and stranger. Soon, one thing becomes clear. Fikret isn’t the only one with something to confess…
This film is no less than an assorted plate of the best Turkey culturally has to offer. The director Çağan Irmak is one of the most successful Turkish directors to date. The three leading actors (whom you wouldn’t have heard of if you live outside of Turkey but Fikret Kuşkan (Mustafa), Başak Köklükaya (Ceren) and Nejat İşler (Fikret) ) are among the best of their generation and present truly world class performances. Mor ve Ötesi who are responsible for the soundtrack are among the most successful bands of modern Turkey. As for the story itself, it is very cleverly constructed and we are glued to our seats as we watch the strong and successful Mustafa slowly but surely unraveling as both his marriage and his life are destroyed. It is by no means easy viewing but a true-blue psychological thriller. And by the way, don’t worry. This is not the domain of Quentin Tarantino or Saw – no gore. Just the human mind and soul laid bare… And that is possibly more frightening than any number of monsters or missing limbs…