Once upon a time in anatolia

Batin Ghobadi’s debut feature is an elusive crime drama that unfolds in the mountainous borderland of Iraqi Kurdistan. The younger brother of Bahman Ghobadi, best known for A Time for Drunken Horses, the writer-director was born in the region, albeit on the Iranian side of the border, and its troubled history resonates obliquely throughout the film. It is suggested that the region is engaged in a period of modernisation, through major construction projects and crackdowns on corruption, but its landscape remains rugged and primal, its men desolate and wracked with guilt.

#20: Cosmopolis (50 points) Directed by David Cronenberg Written by David Cronenberg Canada / France, 2012 Every time Cronenberg answers the prayers of his fans with a new movie, it seems that the first reflex is to attempt to categorize it. Is this new film more like the old Cronenberg, in which very strange, very …

  25: The Dark Knight Rises Directed by Christopher Nolan Screenplay by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan 2012, USA The Dark Knight Rises feels as if it was made up of two equal halves, with the most critical moment of the film breaking the movie in half, almost literally. While the second half may have …

2012 wasn’t a bad year for movies. It was actually a great year. The problem is, the movies we were most anticipating, specifically the Hollywood blockbusters like Prometheus and The Hobbit, didn’t live up to our expectations. With that said I still managed to make a list of 50 films I loved. Maybe I just …

10: Skyfall – Prison Sequence In Skyfall, Javier Bordem plays Raoul Silva, a cyber-brainiac, who isn’t so much interested in world domination as his goals are more personal. He isn’t your typical 007 megalomaniac but Silva provides many of the film’s highlights. Bardem goes big, and for most of the film he persuades us that …

Every thirty days, I like to post a list of my favorite films I’ve recently watched. Here are the best films I’ve seen throughout the month of September. This list is based on movies theatrically released here in Canada, and I do not include what I have seen at film festivals.   **** 1: Once …

At the end of each month, the Sound On Sight staff will band together to write an article about their favourite scenes in films released. Here are our favourite scenes from the month of February. **** Once Upon A Time In Anatolia – Opening Scene Nuri Bilge Ceylan is without a doubt one of the …

Throughout the first half of February, the Sound On Sight staff will take a look at the Academy Awards. Human beings are social animals. We need to feel another human’s touch, hear another’s voice, and despite what many “rebels” might admit, we need their acceptance. But one place we should not look for social validation …

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan Written by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan and Ercan Keysal Turkey, 2011 The title of the latest offering from Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan might indicate companionship with famous films from Sergio Leone or Hark Tsui that share a similar namesake, but don’t enter …

With more movies in limited and general release than ever before, 2011 was a ridiculously crowded year for both casual and discerning moviegoers alike. One by-product of the glut is a refreshing lack of consensus; so many films have been championed in so many corners – while those same films get trashed in others – …

  Most moviegoers can agree on one thing: there were way too many movies this year. If you’re (un)fortunate enough to live in New York, you had the opportunity to see around 600 new features come and go; the rest of us didn’t get that many fewer. That means that anyone who’s been put in …

Most moviegoers can agree on one thing: there were way too many movies this year. If you’re (un)fortunate enough to live in New York, you had the opportunity to see around 600 new features come and go; the rest of us didn’t get that many fewer. That means that anyone who’s been put in a …

For celebrating 20 years the Philadelphia Film Festival came up with some pretty big-name films in 2011’s lineup. The Artist, Melancholia, A Dangerous Method, and Like Crazy, representing an assortment of fare from Cannes, Toronto and Sundance, all played to large crowds at one of the many venues around the greater Philadelphia area. The best …

Once Upon a Time in Anatolia Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan Written by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan and Ercan Keysal Turkey, 2011 The title of the latest offering from Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan might indicate companionship with famous films from Sergio Leone or Hark Tsui that share a similar namesake, but don’t enter …