In this year's KVIFF, there were special screenings of Turkish director Reha Erdem's films, whom I have known little about, so this film serves properly as an introductory piece.
The film is a modern-day parable and the thematic target "money" has been under the lash for the story of an upright man's life turns upside down after he inadvertently acquires a bag of windfall. Enjoyably the film follows a strictly engaging narrative, chronically recounts the cause and effect of the psychological swings which is slowly but deadly eroding one's normal life and dramatically impairing one's moral conscience. Although there is an obvious moralizing route going on throughout, the building-up of the tension has been relentlessly effective, a three-way chasing in the ferry is complacently done.
Leading man Taner Birsel has a wooden appearance at first, but his bookish image has managed to be a perfect template of the story, all in all, his average-joe rendition is more convincing and edifying. Zuhal Gencer, stars as the lonely-temptress-next-the-door, but in a very derogatory manner, who is not only ridiculous but miserable as well. When the final repercussions suddenly swoop in out of nowhere, it feels like a "wonderful surprise", as a dooming coda cannot be evaded, what about a wholesome breakdown? It may be the perfect outlet after a series of lies which cannot be amended.
Anyway, the film is a delightful and hold-it-together triumph despite of its slightly orthodox notion, it's a tough call to assess the values of "money is the worst of all evils", since the double-edged theory is dominating our mainstream societies now, A RUN FOR MONEY could be a bold criticizer, and what's more important is its ripple effect may at least give some remedy to some radical money-seekers.
