Beyaz melek (2007)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Mahsun Kirmizigül

Writer:

Mahsun Kirmizigül (writer)

Release Date:

14 November 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Old Woman | Hospital | Old Man | Family Relationships | Death

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Cansu Aktay	...	Buse
Sarp Apak	...	Resat
Fadik Sevin Atasoy	...	Hatice
Cezmi Baskin	...	Sabri
Lale Belkis	...	Nebahat
Yavuz Bingol	...	Hidir
Hüseyin Avni Danyal	...	Selim
Nursim Demir
Erol Demiröz	...	Ilhan
Arif Erkin	...	Mala Ahmet
Pinar Ertüre
Erol Günaydin	...	Vahit
Salih Kalyon	...	Haci
Toron Karacaoglu	...	Yorgo
Yildiz Kenter	...	Melek
Mahsun Kirmizigül	...	Keke Ali
Öznur Kula
Tomris Oguzalp	...	Suzan
Gazanfer Özcan	...	Palyaço
Ilkay Saran	...	Aysee
Emel Sayin	...	Herself
Suna Selen	...	Mizgin
Ali Sürmeli	...	Zeki
Cihat Tamer	...	Tayyar
Lale Tanci	...	Sultan
Firat Tanis	...	Musa
Zeynep Tokus	...	Nazli
Tanju Tuncel	...	Perihan
Nejat Uygur	...	Gazi Cemal
Necmi Yapici	...	Ömer
Bilge Zobu	...	Yasar

Also Known As:

The White Angel (International: English title)

Runtime:

115 min | UK:122 min

Country:

Turkey

Language:

Turkish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:12A | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Adapazari, Turkey

Company:

Boyut Film

A Very Good Drama

Firstly I would like to admit, I entered the theatre to watch this movie with only one thing on my mind; "this is a Mahsun Kirmizigul movie so expect nothing too good". But the reality couldn't be any further from my expectations.

For those non-Turks a bit of history about the writer/director/producer Mahsun Kirmizigul; he is a famous singer in the genre known as Arabesk/Fantasy. His attempts at acting to date having proved (for the lack of better words) bad. This movie was, in away, his statement that he has the talent it takes to succeed on the big screen and I'd argue he has.

The movie is about the changing culture in Turkey with the adaptation of the Western civilisation into the metropolitan cities. It depicts the great harmony that exists between all cultures within the Turkish Republic and to name them specifically, Turkic, Kurdish and Greek. The main concentration is on the family values that are common to all Anatolians and that have inevitably shifted with the western way of life overpowering those cultural values that once were.

The story revolves around an elderly home where people from all walks of life cross paths as they wait for their eventual end (death). The joy and cruelty that exists within the walls of this sanctuary are based on true events that made headlines in Turkey when caught on camera by a national current affairs program in the 90s.

There are some remarkable camera and directing work, especially coming from someone as unexpected as Mahsun Kirmizigul. The introduction scene and horse scenes are ones to really enjoy from a technical point of view, and the actors in general make the drama hit you where it hurts and your tears will be the evidence of the wonderful acting.