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About Dry Grasses

Play trailer 1:29 Poster for About Dry Grasses 2024 3h 17m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 73 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Nestled away in wintry East Anatolia, public-school art teacher Samet (Deniz Celiloğlu) yearns to leave the sleepy village for cosmopolitan Istanbul. Further disenchanted when he and Kenan (Musab Ekici), a colleague, come under public scrutiny, Samet fears circumstances will keep him in Anatolia and his dreams of a new life permanently out of reach. A silver lining is a budding relationship with Nuray (Merve Dizdar), a fellow teacher and firebrand who develops connections with both Samet and Kenan, forcing Samet to confront what he can't readily accept.
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About Dry Grasses

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Critics Consensus

About Dry Grasses keeps us warm with dark humor through its unhurried and verbose wintry meditation on the human condition.

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Critics Reviews

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James Lattimer Sight & Sound 3d
The focus is firmly on telling over showing in Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s cerebral film about an art teacher in a quiet Anatolian village who is accused of inappropriate behaviour. Go to Full Review
Danny Leigh Financial Times 08/07/2024
4/5
Cinephiles will rejoice at the arrival of an art-house event movie, and the return of Ceylan’s painterly eye and stark philosophy. His grip can be hypnotic. Go to Full Review
Wendy Ide Observer (UK) 07/29/2024
4/5
Tiptoes around the edge of being suffocatingly verbose, and there are scenes that could stand a tighter edit. Still, the meaty, novelistic writing and exceptional quality of the performances make for a rich and engrossing viewing experience. Go to Full Review
Maxance Vincent Film Speak Jul 14
A+
From the multiple montages of portraits representing a shift in Samet’s arc to the sparse whip-pans the cinematographers use at a moment of almost overwhelming emotional complexity, Ceylan is in complete control of each visual aspect of the film. Go to Full Review
Calum Baker Radio Times 11/19/2024
4/5
It's Dizdar, who won the best actress award at Cannes for her efforts, who steals the show and brings a steely heart to Ceylan's sad-sack black comedy. Go to Full Review
Hayley Croke Loud and Clear Reviews 10/20/2024
3/5
The film imposes on itself at times, reproving points that felt sufficiently made earlier on, and drags on seemingly not knowing what is completely necessary to keep and what scenes are not needed to prove the points the film wants to make. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ayse 04/04/2024 The subject , acting ,and wonderful landscape..Unlike Hollywood movies , it is filled with philosophy.. Nuri Bilge Ceylan is genius , when it comes to making great movies.. See more Richard B @RichardB12314 May 16 Despite the runtime it moved by quickly due to the decent pace. The people are living a quiet desperation and take it out on others with pettiness. The ending is more like a Russian philosophizing where people have to get to grips with real life and not live in their dreams if they want to stop suffering. See more Raphael G @raphagimenes Mar 9 Masterfully shot. I love the contemplative pace. I was kept nonetheless very much engaged in the dialogues and the landscape and the film's mood. See more Luis I Feb 23 Having recently seen Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, I found this film to be a similarly immersive and visually stunning experience, with its own unique tension and surprises. The scenes are long but meticulously crafted, drawing the viewer into the setting and the lives of the characters through strong dialogue and direction. Narratively, the film unfolds like a loose sequence of events, occasionally losing track of certain plots and conflicts before eventually weaving them back together in service of its central theme: ideals and the act of idealizing people, places, and situations. The film also plays with audience expectations in interesting ways. A key plotline is introduced early on, only to be set aside and revisited much later, while the second half of the film shifts focus to a different issue involving some of the same characters. The characters are exceptionally well-developed, their strengths, flaws, and insecurities emerging naturally through expertly written dialogue. The performances are outstanding, which is a testament not only to the actors but also to the direction. The cinematography features long, unbroken shots with minimal camera movement, none of which feels unnecessary. However, a few moments do draw attention to themselves through certain camera movements and editing choices, slightly breaking immersion. Then there’s that scene, one that completely pulls the viewer out of the narrative, overtly reminding us that we’re watching a film. I found it fascinating, though I can see how some might find it jarring or alienating. While the film’s deliberate pacing is mostly justified and immersive, it can at times become exhausting, especially given its lengthy runtime and extended scenes. Some moments might have benefited from tighter editing, though that could have come at the cost of the film’s naturalistic dialogue and performances. An intermission at the midpoint might have helped, offering audiences a chance to reflect before continuing. Overall, it’s a rewarding watch, but it demands patience. For those willing to embrace its pacing and runtime, it delivers a profound and existential experience. See more Rob R 12/09/2024 Couldn't cope with te length. Knock 45 mins off and it would be 4.5 stars See more Dave S 11/01/2024 In Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s About Dry Grasses, set in the wind-swept, desolate expanses of Turkey’s East Anatolia, the landscape mirrors the lives of the characters – empty and seemingly without hope. Over the course of more than three hours, three teachers try to come to terms with the considerable shortcomings that seemingly prevent them from escaping their fate. Beautifully shot and edited, intelligently written, and filled with subdued but effective performances, it is a film about jealousy, injustice, obligation, and the life-altering impact of external influences, among other things. While some viewers may find the running time and pacing an issue (not to mention the weird meta scene towards the end), it's one of those rare movie experiences that will leave you examining your own lot in life in a new way. See more Read all reviews
About Dry Grasses

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Movie Info

Synopsis Nestled away in wintry East Anatolia, public-school art teacher Samet (Deniz Celiloğlu) yearns to leave the sleepy village for cosmopolitan Istanbul. Further disenchanted when he and Kenan (Musab Ekici), a colleague, come under public scrutiny, Samet fears circumstances will keep him in Anatolia and his dreams of a new life permanently out of reach. A silver lining is a budding relationship with Nuray (Merve Dizdar), a fellow teacher and firebrand who develops connections with both Samet and Kenan, forcing Samet to confront what he can't readily accept.
Director
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Producer
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Screenwriter
Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Ebru Ceylan, Akin Aksu
Distributor
Sideshow / Janus Films
Production Co
Memento Films Production
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Turkish
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 23, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 21, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA)
$118.7K
Runtime
3h 17m
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