Climates

I am coming at Cannes critical fave Nuri Bilge Ceylan backwards; this was the Turkish director’s follow-up to the acclaimed Distant, and clearly the afterglow from that affected the reception of this, which was the 12th best film of 2006 according to the Indiewire critics’ poll (of which more anon.) The touchstone in most reviews is Antonioni, so it’s not surprising I am not wildly enthusiastic -- mostly slow and meticulously framed scenes set in exotic landscapes, of a loveless couple who barely speak but are presumed to be communicating more to us than to each other. The couple is played by Ceylan himself and his wife, Ebru Ceylan, considerably younger and lovely in a strikingly un-Hollywood way, though they are emphatic in denying autobiographical relevance. I confess to being impatient with the pace of the film, and with the opacity of the characters. But the beauty and craftiness of the visual and sound design sometimes jolted me awake, and the unfamiliarity of the Turkish settings keeps things interesting, even when the characters aren’t, despite effective performances. (2006, dvd, n.) *6+* (MC-72.)