FAMILIES AND NOSTALGIA... ESSIE SPEAKS OF UNEXPECTED DISCOVERIES

OK. There is actually a theme that unites the two films I posted today. It's just that I don't quite know what to call it. These films looked, on the surface, set to be quite unimpressive. They looked like clichés. But on watching them, I was bowled away by both, for different reasons. What I erroneously assumed would be quite superficial accounts turned out to contain massive emotional depth. So much so that I glad it's just the two of them in a way. It's a better showcase for the two films, since despite their differences, for me they embody the same sense of discovery and surprise. We move away from the Anglophone branches of cinema this week. We pay a visit to French cinema where veteran actor Gerard Depardieu does an excellent job of reminding us that sometimes hanging on to older values are really important. And in a rather brilliant example of modern Turkish cinema, we are reminded how difficult managing marriages and families can be... happy viewing! Essie