Kaybedenler Kulübü

As a youngster who grew up in Kadıköy, I heard many familiar words, I saw many familiar places while watching this awesome masterpiece.

The thing, that distinguished this movie from the trivial ones, was the way it connected all these familiar places and words to construct an overwhelming composition of thought and emotion rewriting the philosophy of love according to the contemporary male manifest.

I doubted that this movie would be that good before seeing it as I saw many negative comments about it as well as a few positive ones. After seeing it though I have no doubt that this was the best Turkish movie ever made, even better than "Issız Adam". It kept me thinking for hours and it brought me to tears sometimes.

If you think that you are lonely; this movie will show you another way of being lonely which is no better than being the usual loner anyhow. It will cause you to go swinging in opposite directions like a pendulum until you are completely lost and decide that there are many lessons to be taken but no absolute truth at all.

And finally you will find yourself wandering in the streets of Kadıköy, where the movie is shot, after so many years contemplating about your past while trying to create a better future and being in between, losing both. Welcome to the losers' club..

Today was the third time I saw this movie. It is quite different from any European and US film, coz of it's main characters: Two men who just talking to each other without a drop of falsehood or hypocrisy. They are speaking the language of soul and you almost can hear it. They are sincere, they are kind, they are the truth-seekers, they are bacchanals... They are what they are and this simplicity fits perfect to romantic and philosophical atmosphere of the film seasoned with a pinch of humor.

If you want to have a rest from the things that surrounds you or find a cryptic answer inside your mind - this film is definitely for you. Please enjoy, and take care, friend.

KAYBEDENLER KÜLÜBÜ (THE LOSERS' CLUB) is director Tolga Örnek's contribution to the cycle of contemporary Turkish films criticizing contemporary life in the metropolis. Others include Çağan Irmak's ISSIZ ADAM (ALONE) (2008) and Zeki Debirkubuz's Dark Tales trilogy of YAZGI, İTİRAF and MASUMİYET.

Örnek's film concentrates on a pair of single men, Mete (Yiğit Özsener) and Kaan (Nejat İsler) whose day-jobs are far from fulfilling: Mete spends much of his time in bars, collecting vinyl LPs, or talking to his mother (Serra Yılmaz), while Kaan runs a publishing house issuing coffee-table books that seldom sell. The two men have a thrice- weekly radio show "The Losers' Club" on Kent FM, an independent radio station, where they talk mostly about sex and existentialism, with sex assuming most importance. From modest beginnings the show becomes a cult hit, reaching No. 1 in the charts with a devoted listenership of people from all walks of life - learners, single men, potential suicide victims, artists.

Yet despite their aural celebrity, Kaan and Mete lead empty lives, comprised mostly of casual pick-ups, drinking in bars, and pretending to work. Their radio show might be popular, but they do not seem to derive any pleasure from it - apart from a misogynist delight in persuading their female listeners to reveal their sexual secrets on air.

Örnek's cinematic style in this film is very different from his previous work. He makes extensive use of the split screen technique, interspersed with sequences comprised of fast cuts and the use of subtitles to highlight some of the characters' dialogue. Such techniques are redolent of American and British films from the so-called "Swinging Sixties," where such techniques illustrated the new-found freedoms - cinematic as well as sexual - enjoyed by young people at that time. In KAYBEDENLER KÜLÜBÜ these techniques emphasize the artificiality of the protagonists' lives; there is nothing beneath the surface of either of them.

This emptiness is also evident in their radio show: much of the existential chat is pure bunkum, incomprehensible to most of the listeners. The reason why the show becomes such a cult is because of its unpredictability: the two presenters are continually challenging the borders of acceptability, much to the station controller Aslı's (İdil Fırat's) chagrin.

While KAYBEDENLER KÜLÜBÜ is obviously concerned to make social criticisms, its plot in truth is quite slight: perhaps the film could have benefited from a shorter running-time. Örnek's characterization is also quite weak; we learn little about the protagonists' off-air existence, except for their fondness for alcohol and sex. Perhaps less time could have been spent on the use of ostentatious cinematic devices and more on developing the script in greater depth.

One of the best Turkish movies done in the recent years... Very real dialogs, very sincere characters and most of all good performances of all actors. It can easily create a very intimate relationship with the audience and can catch you from the first moment. The characters and casting is very successful and the love story throughout the movie does not pile on the agony but will affect you truly and deeply. Especially the performances of supporting actress Serra Yılmaz(Mete's mother)and supporting actor Rıza Kocaoglu (Murat)are worth watching. The soundtrack of the movie is also very successful containing a large variety of different styles and reflecting a pleasant taste. In summary,it deserves its place as a cult movie in modern Turkish cinematography.

Tolga Ornek is a very successful documentary producer. "Kaybedenler Kulubu" could be a better documentary than a movie. The pace of the movie is sometimes so slow that you lose your concentration. The dialog is sometimes hard to follow and not very interesting at some other times. In the end, I do not find the characters sincere and the radio program they are serving worthwhile to listen. The love in the movie does not get enough electricity but more than enough sex scenes which obviously aim to attract audience to the movie. At the end, I give an OK grade to the movie but easily understand if others love it. (it all depends if you like the characters and the radio show)