Kaybedenler Kulübü

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.

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..

The thing that makes this movie relatable to the viewer is the realistic acting of Nejat Isler. He fleshed out his character "Kaan" so well. As Kaan Caydamli told in a YouTube video about "Kaybedenler Kulubu", he mentioned that he met with Nejat before the movie shoot and talked him about his character. He directly realised that Nejat is him at the moment. I think this side of Nejat Isler's acting affects the movies that he acted so well. The other actors played their role well as you can guess. Pretty designed and analysed cast for this movie. It has been 12 years since it delivered, but still an impressive milestone in Isler's filmography.

The film actually wants to show the loneliness of our two main characters, who have lost in life, and it does this through the life styles and perspectives of the people who live that life.

I am also part of the society that does not support this lifestyle, but I am against the criticism of separating people just for this reason. I just want to explain to you the understanding of judgment people have. In other films, loneliness is shown to us in a more artistic way. So, how right would it be to say "they live their loneliness" for those characters in that film, but not for those here? Isn't life actually about seeing what we cannot accept as wrong, looking for judgment within it? Just because the majority of society's view is opposite, does that make those people wrong? After all, aren't the things we consider right today what our ancestors thought were wrong back then? There is no universal understanding of truth; it is the common opinion chosen by society's majority at that moment. Therefore, everyone's truth, everyone's life, everyone's way of thinking concerns only them. I think the place we need to start changing is this: we should not judge people, their lives, their ways of thinking according to society's temporary norms, and we should not try to change them. Of course, unless the lifestyle they have chosen affects the rights of others to live normally. Otherwise, the world would turn into a night of purification.

Furthermore, the nuance I want to touch on is that the film is incredibly rich in meaning and full of philosophical sentences. This makes the film much more meaningful and beautiful. In addition, it reflects the inner richness of our main characters. Based on these details, we can easily say that our main characters are among the people with a worldview of their time.

The film does a wonderful job of drawing the viewers in and making them love the main characters. After watching the film, people really start to think, "Am I also alone in this life?" Thoughts do not leave one's mind empty, ideas keep spinning, wondering like this, wondering still. But the only thing we know for sure is that we are here now, and unfortunately... Everyone has their own regrets, and you fill in the gaps in this life.

Good night, dear city listeners. This is the Club of the Losers.

Based on the true story of the two Turkish radio jockeys (RJs) from the 90s, who are the talk of the late night. It was more like a Turkish version of 'The Boat that Rocked' but the thing was the radio station and programme were legal. I found the movie was a little slow in pace but deals with an interesting thematic plot.

The movie tells the story of Kaan and Mete, the radio show hosts. The two ordinary guys with a boring daily livelihood suddenly become colourful once theirs late night radio programme called 'Loser's Club' instantly becomes a hit. They become the celebrities as well as threats from the religious people. One of them finds his dream girl. Whatsoever they are not ready to change themselves to the current situation. They want left alone like everybody else, so what happens to their fame is the ending part of the movie.

Both the lead actors were executed simple performances but looked so powerful. The lead lady, called Zeynep, was also a good and looking cute. Most of the movie shot at the night time, I mean almost, so the light was used very wisely. The movie was simple as its look and complicated to get at first glance. One of a fine Turkish drama I have seen, quite resembles the quality and style of the German movie 'The Lives of Others'.

7.5/10