'Namuslu' is a word close to 'honest' and 'reliable' in English, and it is a word that sums up a man or a woman with integrity. It is not a bad or insulting word. Unlike a phrase like 'simple-minded' or 'innocent', it can't even be used in a condescending way in certain contexts in Turkish. Yet, it is generally used in this film as an insult against the protagonist. This is an early sign that the work is satirical. One of the complaints about 'globalization' is that it (whatever 'it' is) promotes the spread and domination of a human type that is dishonest, greedy, opportunistic, ruthless, etc. --even in cultures that had long managed to keep such people under social control. This, of course, is yet another complex issue that a simple word like globalization can't possibly cover. Although this film makes no reference to international influences on Turkish society, it represents a serious attack on a trend that gained momentum in the '80s and continued unabated to our day: The spread and legitimation of greed. The shock value of this dark comedy reaches its height in the personage of the mother-in-law of the protagonist, played by the veteran actress Adile Nasit. This venerable old lady who usually stands for respectable (and lovable) women appears to have completely bought this 'alien' greedy outlook, and fully expects the son-in-law to steal left and right. Lady Macbeth characters are not common to Turkish literature or movies. What is even less common is elderly people who are less than exemplary. (Stupid they may be, but evil?!) The arrival of a character like this is a clear signal that something is indeed rotten in Turkey. The plot and the comedy may not be insuperable. However, the film is a respectable effort, and holds a mirror to many people who are currently busy eroding one of the bases of a good economy anywhere: Trust. Those who are familiar with the centuries-old humor of Nasreddin Hoca will hopefully have a greater appreciation of the film.
