Issiz Adam

I am very much certain that this is the most under valuated film ever made! Surprisingly daring as it comes from a country where not even real love kisses were ever shown on screen, it could -far as its realism is concerned - come from any western country, my own included, where no barriers are put when it comes to presenting the real world in a movie picture. Furthermore the film goes far beyond a love story, as its goal is to show how some men – here represented by Alper, the main character of the film- get caught in the sly ambush called "life style" modern society puts for them, which in turn means "plenty" to satisfy a man's greedy and never ending luster for "freedom" "good times", and consequently, "sex"! When he meets Ada, Alper does realize that she is really worth to be with, therefore for the first time in his life he tries hard to make it with her. Yet, as time goes by, and in spite of something strong inside him telling him that he is in the right way, -for he does realize that this relationship has upgraded his life standard -, he finally gives in to luster calling him like the sirens called Ulysses, so, out of the blue, he breaks up with her, hurting her badly.Soon he has to deal with the consequences! Well, these consequences and the way they are illustrated in the film, is something I have never ever seen on screen before!!! As a person myself who is very much aware of the hard dilemmas a man has to face in his life, especially if he is very much absorbed by his life style of "plenty", I was like never before touched by the character of the "lonely man" portrayed in this film. And I have never ever cried this much as when watching it!!! To me this is an anthem to the men who become victims to their –seemingly – "welfare" ("freedom-independence-sex!")! And there are certain hints in the film that this "welfare" is strongly mastered by the man's libido. So, behind the surface, which is telling the story of an unfulfilled love, a lot in "Issiz Adam" reminded me of Steve McQueens's "shame" only, that one, by illustrating an extreme case, is focused even more specifically on what being ruled by his sexual libido really means to a man, and where this possession of mind may eventually lead him to. As in "shame", so in "Issiz adam" a man comes to realizing the catastrophic consequences of his choices when it's too late! Here, the inability of Alper to stay together with Ada in spite of the fact that he does love her after all, deals with his addiction to "being free" , in a "freedom" sexual fun is very much included! Playing Alper, Cemal Hunal, builds in a most heartbreaking way, the portrait of a tragic hero who falls victim to his own choices! The rest of the cast too, contributes to an amazing extend to keeping the film up to a level of really very high quality. I should mention the "mother" who, representing the values of a sweet tradition, feels the dangers of her son's way of thinking and tries to warn him about the no way out of his choices, and the bitterness the route to sweet loneliness may take him to. Beautiful songs and music -mostly Turkish - from the romantic 70's and 80's, serve as the perfect sonic background of the story and as a unique amplifier of its -at some points really very dramatic- sentimental power. Last but not least to mention: The unique, original,innovative way the director shows in the last 18 minutes long scene the ultimate desperation and devastation that rule the souls of the main two characters is really unprecedented, and make this film as much a realistic masterpiece, human, sad and heartbreaking as it takes!In this magic scene, the director manages to turn into motion picture not only what is visible, and not only the things the two x-lovers are allowed to say to each other framed by the restrictions of their present life conventions after 4 years of separation, but also their hidden, unspeakable,inexpressible and therefore extremely painful thoughts! The bleeding wound of –willingly or unwillingly – losing each other and the shock of all by chance meeting again -a meeting that obviously had often repeatedly happened in their dreams-, is absolutely eloquent in their faces, in their movements, in their words, and this shock combined with the desperation of dying to express feelings they are not allowed to show to each other, does inevitably reach the spectator and leaves him fully participating and thus devastated too! Their final embrace will break your heart! To make a long story short, do "discover" this piece of art! Especially if you are "lonely men" yourselves!

Popular Turkish television writer-director Çağan Irmak best known for his series "Çemberimde Gül Oya" and "Asmalı Konak", proved his popular appeal with this particularly modern take on the somewhat overdone Rom-Com genre that has a peculiarly Turkish bent which makes it well worth seeking out for anyone who wants an insight into that country's attitudes to love and sex.

Cemal Hunal certainly looks the part of a romantic lead as Alper and is not without his charms but the character he plays is so thoroughly repellent that it is impossible to cheer for him as he attempt to woo the feisty Melis Birkan as Ada, who one can't help but feel should have known better, under the kindly gaze of the brilliant but underutilised Yildiz Kültür as Alper's mother.

The filmmakers through in a fair few laughs, normally at Alpers expense, but these mostly relate to his degenerate sexual escapades and do nothing to endear him to the audience and it is this lack of pathos that was for me this films ultimate undoing as even at the end I could barely shed a tear when the film lived up to its English language title by leaving him alone.

I'm living with tainted blood.

Director Cagan Irmak had moved his audience to tears with his beautiful, semi-political, semi-melodramatic "Babam ve Oglum" only a few years ago. Now, here he is with a much more mature and deeper depiction of a tortured soul of our times. At a certain point, it is reminiscent of Allen's "Annie Hall" and there is a gentle, sly nod to Scorsese's "Taxi Driver", and this film deserves comparison to both of these films; no need to be modest. The main character is a handsome, young restaurant owner, a chef in Istanbul and his casual relationships with a large variety of women say something about his actual loneliness. On the other hand, she is a lively, lovely young woman with a pretty little costume shop and when they meet, it's not love at first sight, but a love that grows and is woven with their efforts, especially hers. But this is not an ordinary, straightforward womanizer-turned-romantic-by-true-love-kind-of story. It is the sad story of a man who has alienated himself from all emotional human contact because of a life in "the big city". It is all the more sad because he is aware of it, he wants to open up and get rid of it, but he just can't. And she was just about to make it easier for him... Anyway, this is definitely a movie worthy of seeing. It is not just a local story, I'm sure people all around the world will identify with the characters in this film. I hope little films like these are seen by large and different audiences and get the praise they deserve.

Differently from his primal films, director Cagan Irmak dishes out a drama with using Expressionist cinema language on a romantic theme. Originally written for the screen his movie accuses the modern social conventions of the couples' relationships. A considerably usual plot brings two adverse social characters to light. Despite the Expressionist components, characterization is at a very low-degree. It doesn't attract any attention of how do these people live or what do they do for a living. Lovers meet for the first time in a pessimistic mood. The dialogues they use when they meet are coarse. Their communication coarsens even more and more until the guy tenders flowers to the girl. None of them could have implied any emotion wholeheartedly. Basically, they never fell in love. But at the end, they realized that they meant for each other, even though they are not in love.

In order to direct a romance, a director should let the couple do their magic. Screenplay and the script was fruitful, yet the directing was poor. Quite evidently, there was never been a chemical accord between the lovers. They just acted as two toneless product of Expressionism. Story carried us to an ending of a man's meaning of life, which got us crushed under a heavy melancholy. At the final we took a deep breath when the secret melodrama was revealed. Foolishly we became a witness of this pointless melodrama by director Cagan Irmak.

The selected soundtrack for this movie was praiseworthy. Although, even the songs that played during the corresponding scenes couldn't fix the lack of the acting. Synchronization turning out to be voice overs is used at the final scene with an influential mix of the editing of brainstorms and voice overs. At least the success of editing saved the film.

Issiz Adam is a remarkable film because of its seeking for the relief of hopeless relationships of broken couples.There awaits a relationship movie far away from being considered as a romance. A wise well-known old saying says: "You can build relationships just with anybody, though you can only find the love within only one person".

a great romantic movie to come out of turkey, but calling it romantic does not do it justice. its also a study of the nihilism and alieanation of the individual in modern times...when the young generation can live without the taboos instilled by our parents....when we can date who we want, be-friend when we want...and simply live the way we want.

but it does have romantic elements...their utopian life is a bit too hollywoody for my tastes, but its what keep people coming to the movies.

but this 'virus' - 'inexplicable' reason for the self-afflicted loneliness never gets even a glimpse of an explanation...i would say its the unequivocal result of big-city living, but the only ever explanation we get completely destroys that theory (apparently he was a loner as a kid in his small town). so what is the reason, origin of this masochistic behavior? he seems quite unhappy and regretful about it from the beginning to the end. this never gets explored, and makes the point superbly weak.

the music is nostalgic and amazing...as if the 'love' they feel is a story from a time long past but can not happen in the modern times - great placement. the movie will capture you and keep you from the beginning, but it will leave you with some questions.

and for those who continue to view turkey in the same light as the more conservative muslem countries...the very first scene is a 'in your face dumbo' moment...basically we have the guy meeting a married woman in the middle of the night after a brief internet conversation, a woman whose husband has a cockhold fantasy and will be watching the two perform.

cheers.