Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011)

Comparisons to Antonioni and Tarkovsky abound when people discuss Ceylan. Though his movies may share the beautiful landscape photography, long takes, and contemplative nature, there is something more raw about his work. Antonioni and Tarkovsky played with big ideas, which is not to say Ceylan does not, but they played with big ideas in a larger than life manner. Ceylan is more quiet about his ideas. The film unfolds almost in real time. This is what police work is, a lot of agonizing over details. Consider the way the Prosecutor files his reports; very meticulous. This film is meticulous. It demands patience. But it is a ravishing experience. We spend so much time with these characters that one feels as if they know them intimately. We forget that these are actors, the idea becomes an impossibility. I still felt like there was something missing here, something essential that keeps it from being a masterpiece. Ceylan is very cryptic when it comes to information about his characters, we learn about them the way we would learn about people in real life, but at times it feels like a tease. I wanted a little more. But I am nitpicking, check this one out.