Climates? CHANGE!
Oh when will I ever learn? Do not go and see films described as elegiac, expressionistic or downright slow at the Renoir. After a surprisingly tiring day at work, a film where nothing much happens for long stretches in a very comfy and dark cinema is clearly an error. And yet drifting in and out of the land of nod is often the best way to see a film like this.
The plot. Over three seasons a man breaks up up with his long term girlfriend. Is the 100 minutes in that? Well yes, and that is why Climates works quite as well as it does. In dwelling on the emotional stages of the break-up (irritation, opportunity, regret) the feckless lead (and director) convinces wholly as a character. In a life with silly little scenes, moments of discomfort flirt with moments of comedy. But mostly there are moments of beautiful nothingness: the final third in the snow is a masterclass in wintry scene setting. And so whilst this is a dull film, it is still fascinating to watch.
This is Nuri Ceylan’s follow up to Uzak, a similarly low key tale: which I was similarly coldly impressed by here. And shows little attempt to extend his range, the leads in both were quiet photographers. However in Climates the film is stuffed with family, making it even more personal in certain ways - the film lurching from banal slice of life, to remarkably moving moments of personal recognition. It is a small film which recognizes that our lives are trivial to others, heartbreaking to ourselves. And somehow manages to do both. All while I dozed.
She should have eaten the nut though.
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FT's tracerhand on February 20th, 2007
I can’t wait to see this. Slow movies are my thing.
Mark M on February 20th, 2007
I saw Uzak on the grounds that I don’t see enough non-American/Nordic/Spanish cinema. And regretted it mightly – I’m generally in favour of films where not much happens, but not where not much happens dourly, humourlessly and unmemorably. Climates looks so untempting…
FT's Pete Baran on February 20th, 2007
Climates has a few gags in it, the opening sequence is funny in that “watching other people argue” way. But its not all that different to Uzak in pacing or tone. I oddly liked both, without necessarily being conscious for all of them.