On Netflix, Show Reviews, Turkish Actors

Last Call For Istanbul: Crossing Borders

by mh musings

A slice of life movie exploring the journey of falling in love and staying in love.

  • Format: Movie
  • Genre: Drama, Romance
  • Lead actors: Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ, Beren Saat
  • Production detail: Much of the filming is done in New York
  • Where to watch with English subs: Netflix

Synopsis

In Last Call for Istanbul, two Turkish travelers run into each other at an airport in New York, and end up spending time together as they chase her missing luggage across the city. During this time, known to each other as Ryan and Samantha, they have soulful conversations about themselves and their marriages, have an eventful night out, and eventually come to a rude awakening as both are confronted with life-changing questions to which they yet have no answers.  

Performances

Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ and Beren Saat are masters in their craft and bring the right blend of easy camaraderie needed for two characters that weave in and out of the past and the present as the story unfolds. Their youthful dreams and the deep desire to remain connected to them is in conflict with sacrifices one needs to make for love and family. With a smattering of other interesting characters and interludes, the story focuses primarily on these two central characters and their life’s paths. Kıvanç and Beren are undaunted by this hyper-focus on their roles and delivers to the task.

Cinematic Journey

Helmed by famed screenwriter Nuran Evren Şit, Last Call For Istanbul is set in New York, which is a rarity in Turkish movies and series’. Taking on the role of a third lead actor, New York becomes symbolic of an aspirational life, a metaphor for the unexplored life behind a sliding door moment. The plot flows well and is written with a maturity that could make the story a placeholder for a number of other Western romance movies.

In her interview with us, Evren had said, “After the 5th draft, we started having conversations on the script and the characters, collaborating with both actors (Kıvanç and Beren). That was very exciting and their input was amazing. I am very honored that I wrote the script that convinced them to act together again after all these years.”

And this collaborative approach becomes evident in the cinematic execution, adeptly brought to the fore by director Gönenç Uyanık. In Last Call for Istanbul, the emphasis is on unveiling the characters and their motivations a layer at a time, which demands a more nuanced performance from the artistes bringing them to life. Whereas dizis and its actors can often seem an organic cinematic experience with a lot of impromptu changes in script and performances, this movie is tight in its narrative. Both actors convey a depth of emotions with their eyes and full body acting, sometimes belying the words they are speaking. It is obvious that a lot of this is by the writer’s design, as she adopts the Chekhov’s gun principle in her storytelling. No detail is wasted.

Worthy Reunion?

With Kıvanç Tatlıtuğ and Beren Saat reuniting 13 years after their iconic pairing in the wildly popular dizi Aşk-ı Memnu, fans have been waiting with bated breath to watch Last Call for Istanbul since it was announced in early 2022. Their performances in the 2008 – 2010 classic are still revered and reruns of the dizi garner high ratings every summer. The question on everyone’s mind is will this new pairing live up to the expectations? It isn’t surprising at all that the reception is mixed.

Seen through the lens of Netflix Turkey’s strategy of increasing their subscriber base in Turkey, it makes sense for the Turkish originals to be more avant-garde so that locals can access a style of Turkish content they cannot on public TV. They may want to see their beloved actors in new avatars and genres just so they can appreciate the depth of their talents differently. The more youthful Turkish viewers may appreciate the modernity of what Kıvanç and Beren bring to life in this movie.

However, when browsing comments from international dizi purists who love the genre for its Turkishness, modesty and smoldering storytelling, there is a general dissatisfaction with the hasty pace, explicit and implied sexuality. To this audience, who are already jaded by Western movies with graphic sex scenes, the Western flair in Last Call For Istanbul wastes the explosive chemistry Kivanc and Beren embodies in Ask-I-Memnu, a complex family drama that shows them in an illicit affair where Beren’s Bihter is married to Kıvanç’s Behlul’s elderly Uncle. Those who came looking for a modified version of Bihter and Behlul are disappointed.

And there are viewers like me who straddle both camps. I would like to see some innovative stories by Turkish writers brought to life by experimental and courageous actors, but at the same time have some uniquely Turkish values and themes be woven into the narrative. What helps me to appreciate Kıvanç and Beren’s studied choice to reprise their partnership in this movie, knowing they have big shoes to fill, is to see them as global stars who want to explore the boundaries of how the East can blend with the West in cinema. Certain stories and relationships need not be defined by borders.

As well, while we have the greatest fascination for Istanbul and her rich heritage, Istanbulites grapple with their wanderlust for the big Apple or other unique and vivacious international metro areas. They possibly crave the unknown beyond their borders. Through this lens, I enjoyed watching two Turks venturing into New York, with all her glamor, chaos and opportunities, and make a conscious choice to answer if they prefer the lure of Istanbul instead.

Conclusion

I can understand the need for Turkish filmmakers to experiment. For all the prolific productions in the dizi world, Turkish producers struggle to go beyond the tried and tested formulas around complex family dramas with romance as a backbone. In a dizi, hyperfocus on a couple’s relationship dynamic cannot be the only arc being explored. It has to weave in many different themes and sprawling relationships to hold the viewer’s attention. In contrast, the liberty of a time restricted film on a streaming platform opens new doors for local storytellers and they are hungry to make the most of this freedom.

Last Call For Istanbul dropped on Netflix on November 24, 2023 and quickly became the number #1 non-English movie on Netflix. The story isn’t unique in the realm of global cinema but it is novel for a Turkish production. The lead pair’s prior popularity certainly plays a big part in its viewership across various international markets, helping it to get into the Top 10 in more than 80 countries at its peak.

For a light romance and easy watch, I recommend Last Call For Istanbul, especially for those who have loved Kıvanç and Beren together in the past.


Article copyright (c) North America TEN & mh musings/ @entrespire, twitter

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