Falling Into Place

No pun intended - seeing Aylin in this ... at first I was unsure it was her (as you can tell I did not check anything casting or crew wise) ... but if you've seen her before you recognize her. And reading that she wrote and directed this? Kudos - especially considering her performance in this - heavy lifting so many things and doing a great job.

Not sure if this is her debut, but I know that she is a great actress. In the stuff I have seen her in, she worked more than fine. The movie is about characters - broken and trying to find themselves ... maybe inside someone else (again no pun intended).

There is family, there are relationships ... this feels as real as it can be (being a movie). The dialog works greatly to say the least. Really well done, with life going its course, not caring about ones struggles ... but will the humans we encounter help us in our fight? Will we be able to fight together? Watch and see.

Movie tells the story of two people who are in the middle of their lives and are on the run from their former lives. They are running away from something, struggling with themselves and the life decisions they have made so far. Professionally and privately, they are stuck in a dead end. The film's problem: plot, dramaturgy, aesthetics and characters. Virtually everything here seems so inauthentic and contrived that it is a real annoyance.

Added to this are cliché-ridden moments, that can also be found in every second Sunday evening tearjerker on public TV. Complemented by kitschy, romanticized images of a setting characterized by idyllic nature and endless vastness (here: the rugged landscape of the Isle of Skye). Those sentimental, trivial, clichéd situations appear very early on in "Falling into Place", for example when the two main characters meet in an island pub.

A lot of things simply seem deliberate and forced, supplemented by coincidences that are implausible and not conducive to authenticity. For example, the script's decision to have the two people searching for meaning live in the same city of all places. And only just miss each other several times. The themes dealt with in the film are essential and would deserve to be examined in detail. It is about repression, family trauma, loss and fear of commitment. But sadly, they aren't. The films stays on the surface.

Back in London, Kira is trying to come to terms with the break-up with her boyfriend. And Ian, who has a girlfriend, also wants a change in his love and relationship life. Aylin Tezel and Chris Fulton visibly make an effort. However, the weaknesses in the script and the exhausting, often lecturing comments, also the pleasing one-liners reminiscent of calendar sayings ("It's painful to know that everything is replaceable") are quite annoying. A rather painful watch, I must say.

I give three stars for the effort and because it's a first feature.

"Kira" (Aylin Tezel) is having a break in a wintery and rural Scotland when she encounters the charismatic "Ian" (Chris Fulton) outside a pub on a Friday night. He's already had fairly drunken sex in the gents and she's just got shot of some unwanted attentions from an enthusiastic would-be suitor, so the pair start to chat, to dance, generally muck about and to bond. The next twenty four hours sees each learn a little more of the other as they realise that they both come with strings attached, before he has to attend to a family emergency. She heads back to London where she gets a job as a set designer for a theatrical production. He, likewise, returns to that city to his girlfriend "Emily" (Alexandra Dowling) but it's clear that there's no surfeit of happiness anywhere here, for anyone. Maybe they'll meet again - serendipity might look kindly on them? Well you don't have to be Mystic Meg to guess the plot, but there's an enjoyable degree of chemistry on offer here between the two. Neither come across as especially versatile actors, but they do work well together and the scenes on the island are quite engaging and plausible to watch. It's padded out a bit, indeed it might have lost half an hour and better condensed the story into what essentially makes this work - the dynamic between the two of them, but it's still quite a well written and at times mischievous piece of cinema with some beautifully shot location photography.

Falling Into Place tells the story of how meeting one person can change our whole view on life. Aylin Tezel, director, writer and also the leading actress, with Chris Fulton as the other half of the main couple of protagonists both delivered a truly gentle, intimate and simple yet powerful performance which is really in the core of this film. With their great chemistry they achieved that we are truly invested in their relationship as well as their seperate lives, which still seem very real, true and genuine. Like I said the story itself is very simple - boy meets girl, girl meets boy but both have their own issues they need to take care of first before they realise they are the ones for each other. It can sound cheesy, but thanks to the tender, delicate and truthful script and direction of Tezel it does not come through as too sweet or too cute - instead it offers us raw emotions and brutal honesty.

This is an excellent bit of filmmaking and a modern day masterclass in navigating the nuance and subtlety of every day existentialism and sense of self. The acting from the whole cast is absolutely incredible, with the central couple presenting charisma and chemistry very rarely seen. The pace and space with each interaction is beautifully authentic and you are deeply drawn into their worlds. The romance and escapism of the opening scenes are a solid anchor for the rest of the film to hang from, as their actual real selves and realities unfold and the audience can truly believe that there was something very special and unique between them when they first met. The vulnerability and fragility of the male lead has been so missed in most cinema and it's a breath of fresh air to see such a well rounded character portrayed. There are no villains only complex messy human beings dealing with the antagonism of modern life and the human condition. The film dealt with the tortured artist trope of the male lead and the serious mental health issues with the sister respectfully and without cliches again bringing a level realism and authenticity to these potential overemphatic plot lines. The lighting, cinematography, score, and edit were so intentional and carefully crafted that the film just flowed making the viewing experience feel effortless.

But most of all the charm and humour is what was so wonderful to watch. Thank you to Aylin Tezel for acting, directing and writing and the whole cast and crew for this beautiful modern love story.