Asmali Konak: Hayat (2003) User Reviews

A disappointment

[didstanbul · 1/10 · 24 November 2004]

I ordered this movie on the Internet as it is very difficult to get Turkish movies where we live. I've heard so much about the TV series from my friends and practically everyone in Turkey, I was expecting to see a breakthrough in Turkish cinema. What a disappointment.

Me and my husband (who is an admirer of any movie with a bit of Turkish landscape and Turkish dialogues in it) only watched it all the way through because we had paid $20 for the DVD. Well, that was a boring way of wasting it.

It was confusing, at times overacted, whereas other times underacted. The storyline was not only confusing, but adding a gay man walking with his dog on the beach and using some toilet humor in the script to make it 'Hollywood' didn't also work for me.

The American characters were almost too stereotypical that it was neither funny nor realistic and like another user mentioned, the Turkish customs and lifestyle was irrelevant.

The camera movements had no significance. Adding a few Dervishes (never seen in them in Kapadokya by the way) and broken plates -Greek style- only made the movie even more confusing.

I am ashamed of this movie and all the noise the press has made about it. There are surely worthy movies made by Turkish directors which deserve more attention and respect.

I give this movie 1 out of 10.

The crew (including the Director) has forgotten this is a continuation of a TV series

[tansu · 2/10 · 6 January 2004]

Asmali Konak has arguably become one of the best TV series to come out of Turkey. With its unique cinematography and visual approach to filming, the series has gained a wide following base with rating records continuously broken. Personally I do not agree with singers becoming actors (hence, Ozcan Deniz - the lead actor) but I guess the figures speak for themselves.

In relation to the movie, it was disgusting to see how much someone can destroy such a plotline. Years in the making, this movie was able to oversee every descent story that existed within the series. Not only that, the cultural mistakes were unacceptable, with an idiotic scene involving the family members dancing (Greek style) and breaking plates, which does not exists anywhere within the Turkish culture.

Some argue the movie should be taken as a stand alone movie not as a continuation of the TV series but this theory has one major fall, the way the movie was marketed was that it will be picking up where the series left off and will conclude the series once and for all. So with that note in mind, me and everyone I know, would have asked for a refund and accepted to stand outside the theatre to warn other victims.

A great TV serial

[gelia_f_gr · 9/10 · 15 November 2005]

Hello I m Greek and it happened to watch this TV serial by chance,long time ago.Since then i became fan of it.It is so good for lots of reasons. Its photograph,the place where the story takes part..Capadokia..so weird and charm..Places that we don't know .. Its the life itself in turkey..a life that we don't know..It combines the old with the new..the traditional with the process. In this serial i found out why the turks used to have hight walls as a fencing..while we use to have short ones..loll Besides that i liked so much the way of living of the family...all together..united..strong..Living with their servants..and considering them as members of the family.. This serial gave us ,the Greeks,the opportunity to learn about turkey and Turkish people,more than we used to know and we realized that we have so common grounds.Like,words..baklava,jevjekis..budalas..rezil..food..like dolmades..baklava..pies..imam baildi..hanem burek.. We saw the way the Turkish r getting married.. Beyond all that the acting was very good..Deniz even he is a singer..he was acting very well..his "mother too",the Sultan Subul..she was great and so pretty lady.. The serial ended by the illness of Bahar,with her and Seimen to leave for USA. I want to congratulate the director .. the writers..the photographer and all the cast of this serial.. They gave us lots of info's about the turkey of today with an artistic way.. Thank u for the hospitality

IF DAVID LYNCH EXCITES YOU SO WILL ASMALI

[popsiclemadness · 13 May 2004]

There's nothing like picturesque Turkey filling an enormous screen in front of you (along with Bahar- the film's female lead) This director took a double dare when he made the most successful series in Turkey (think America's Sopranos) finale into a film and then brought it's lead character to New York City. The film's unique opening dream sequence is unlike any film of its kind- with sets that push the limits and throw this film into a stand alone category. The Director still keeps the cultural differences both in the film's cinematography and plot. Apparently when this series aired in Turkey the country stopped what it was doing and turned on the tele.

great film

[EOguz · 10/10 · 25 September 2004]

Asmali Konak: Hayat is great.

Asmali Konak: Hayat was a great film the first time I saw it and a great film the fifth time I saw it. Some people argue that the story is "not a continuation of the series." Is a good story all that people care about? There is much more to a film than its plot; people tend to forget this. Asmali Konak has displayed some great acting both in the series as well as the movie. The directing in the film was done by the great Abdullah Oguz and like his past music video work, he did not disappoint. I recommend this film without reservations; if not for the Asmali Konak name, then for one of Abdullah Oguz's finest directorial showcases.

i didn't understand most of it ?!

[xneverx-trust · 10/10 · 5 August 2009]

i like the show very much since its still airing on MBC 4 ... but i've already seen the rest of it on youtube but didn't get a word except that bahar has some kinda cancer ... and in the movie she was shot !!! and seyman went nuts !! OMG , the movie was a bit confusing to me since i don't speak Turkish at all ... in the end, they ended up living in Istanbul not their village ?? correct me if I'm wrong... but i didn't get why seyman kept on seeing bahar as that blond woman who btw he didn't recognize or know everywhere ?! and why was the shrink telling their friend, if you mentioned bahar's name infront of him he's ready to snap ?!

does the movie picks up from where the series left ?! or is it just to make us feel better about ourselves since they made me burst into tears when i saw hayat crying cause her mom was leaving ... and since we know she had cancer and she might die ... !!! and those were the days song was amazing !! i loved it !! i thought the maid with the tumor was gonna die and it was fine by me !! but they cant kill the main character or star i don't know at the very last epi of the show !!! am i right ?