Rather a drama than a comedy, that touches the unsolvable question of poor people especially caught up between the western culture & what is left of the pieces of eastern culture as well. Life is always hard on the illiterate people immigrated to a metropolis from their villages where there seems no hope of survival at all. The movie seems like a light comedy around cunning little people, but though they feel the reality in themselves still try to live the day with some impossible dreams. Yilmaz Erdogan as both the director and the main guy in the movie seems to intent a sequel for his movies Vizontele & Vizontele Tugba but this time the place is the "big apple" Istanbul. Both Yilmaz Erdogan & as his wife Büsra Pekin are wonderfully natural. The corrupted culture of the outskirts of a city, people who have nothing but an ignorant courage and still the pride outlines the story. The tempo never gets dull, the cinematography seems smooth, a hard to recall soundtrack and a fine team of actors of the BKM which is still a powerful resource for both the theatre and the Turkish cinema. It is not a surprise that the movie couldn't get as much as attention as the cult comedy Recep Ivedik sequels which are almost absurd and worth nothing compared to Neseli Hayat. Thanks to Yilmaz Erdogan. Thanks BKM. Someday there'll be a "Slumdog Millionaire" in the Turkish cinema too, not far away...
Review of Jolly Life
