J. L. Borges, The Plot.
"Deftly interweaving five contempo vignettes with fairy tale flavors, slick criss-crosser "Istanbul Tales" is both a compulsively watchable entertainment as well as an atmospheric love letter to one of the world's most beautiful cities.Long-gestated project by writer Umit Unal, who finally shared helming chores with four others, has molto fest potential as well as some upscale foreign legs with specialist distribs. "
"Though the directors basically worked on individual stories, there's so much overlap between them -- on both dramatic and editing levels -- and the styles are so undifferentiated that the finished film looks like the work of a single helmer. Unal, who labored over the script for several years, says he finally invited others to share direction simply to give the movie a sustained sense of energy. In that respect, apart from a slight dip during the "Sleeping Beauty" section, his decision pays off in spades."
"Criss-crossers set during a limited timeframe have been an established genre, especially in European cinema, for some time. But Unal's complex script, which continually surprises with its cleverness without sacrificing character development to plot mechanisms, makes the format shine anew. Casting is terrific at every level.Tech credits are tip-top, and pacing has plenty of forward momentum without being rushed. Unal's previous feature, "9" (2002), Turkey's first DV-to-35mm feature, also featured an interlocking story structure, but "Tales" reps a big step into the commercial arena."
Derek Elley, Variety. 2 May 2005
24TH INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL FILM FESTIVAL
NATIONAL COMPETITION
BEST FILM
BEST ACTRESS (YELDA REYNAUD)
11th MED FILM FESTIVAL, NOVEMBER 2005, ROME
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION (ORIGINAL IDEA) AWARD
3rd BANGKOK FILM FESTIVAL, 17-27 FEBRUARY 2006
INTERNATIONAL JURY'S MENTION IN RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE