philip s
Earlier this year, independent movie studio Indiepix imported the Turkish foreign film Ships for American audiences. The movie, which originally debuted in its home country in January 2014, is quite the interesting work. Coming in at just over the ninety-minute mark, its script lies at the heart of its interest. The movie's script follows a young man named Ali (Ugur Uzunel-El yazisi) as he ponders his life in the port town that is he calls home in regards to his own future, his relationship with his father, and much more. As the story, penned by writer/director Elif Refig, progresses, it becomes more than just a story ruminating on one's place in the world but one that even boasts just the slightest amount of romance. Luckily that romance factor doesn't overpower the movie's main plot. Rather it plays into the movie's overall plot, leading to a deep philosophical (and psychological) concept that will definitely have viewers talking after the movie ends. While the movie's script plays a powerful part in its surprising enjoyment, it can't be said that the movie is pefect. There is a clearly noticable problem with the movie's sync. The movie is not dubbed in English. So this is not just the standard English voice actor dubbing over the foreign original. The audio and video is at the very least a good second and a half off from one another. To some this may not seem like that much. But it is noticeable. And while it doesn't necessarily kill the movie (or the bonus short included with the movie-it also has a sync issue)it is a hindrance that must be noted. Having noted the painfully obvious issue with the movie's sync (and that of the movie's companion short film) that noted bonus companion short film adds even more to the movie's overall presentation. That is the case even with its sync issue. It abrely tops the twenty-minute mark. But in the course of that time, it achieves plenty. And even despite it having its own syncing issue it still combines with the presentation's main movie to make Ships a must see indie fick and one of this year's top new independent films.
Indiepix Films' recently imported independent foreign film Ships is a must see for anyone wanting to escape the monotony of the material being churned out by Hollywood's "Power Five Studios." It is also one of this year's best new independent movies. The main reason that it is worthy of holding both titles is its script. Penned by writer/director Elif Refig, the script behind this movie isn't just some overly artsy forieng film that is artsy for the sake of it. Rather it balances that art film approach with a mainstream style story and presentation that is just as accessible to audiences as any human drama churned out by Hollywood's "Power Five studios" in the last twenty years or more. The story that lies within the movie script follows Ali as he ponders his place in the world and comes to the realization that he needs to get out of his hometown and branch out. That realization becomes even stronger when he meets what will become his female love interest Eda (M. Sitare Akbas-Ada, Not Worth A Fig, Dila Hanim), who also feels the need to get on one of the boats (there is one in particular called the Vamos of which Ali dreams and thus thinks will be the pair's ticket out of their town) and sail away. What is really interesting about all of this is that Refig flips the standard gender roles used in the movie's American counterparts in the development of both Ali and Eda. Ali is a dreamer while Eda is something of a bad girl figure, painting graffiti, wearing the dark hood, etc. early on. And it is in fact her growing relationship with Ali that leads her, not him, to change. This is a subtle element of Refig's script. But it is an element that proves quite interesting to those that pay close enough attention to catch it. Even more interesting are the philosophical and even psychological discussions that are certain to be generated by Refig's script by the time the movie ends. It will raise discussions on whether Ali's dreams about the Vamos were n fact real signs or if perhaps they were just the catalyst for the relationship between he and Eda that forms over time. It's just one more of so many elements within the movie's script that make the script so important to the movie's success and enjoyment. There is potentially more that this critic might have missed in regards to the scripting. That aside, the elements that were in fact noted here and the expert manner in which Refig balanced each element within the body of the script shows even more so why the script behind Ships is so important to its enjoyment and overall success.
For all of the positives that Ships' script presents, it is painful to say that in watching this movie, the script is its one major positive. In other words the movie (and its companion bonus short film) does have a noticeable problem. Audiences will note that both the central presentation and its companion short film both suffer from a noticeable issue of the audio and video's syncing. Before anyone gets upset, automatically thinking that it is just a dubbing issue, that is not the case. The cast's speaking parts were not covered by English-speaking voice actors. Rather the cast's speaking parts were handled via English subtitles. This makes it painfully clear that there is a problem with the movie's syncing. It is not relegated to just those speaking parts either. The audio and video appear to be out of syn from the movie's opening scene to its last. Some will attempt to argue that this is a non-issue since English-speaking viewers will probably spend most of their time reading the subtitles. However, the rebuttal to that argument is that even those audiences will still be watching the movie at the same time as reading the movie's subtitles. This problem isn't relegated to just Ships. It is just as obvious in the movie's companion short film Man To Be. In defense of those behind both presentations, the synching issue doest not necessarily eliminate any reason to watch either film. but it does have a noticeable impact on the movies' enjoyment. That being the case, both Ships and Man To Be are still worth at least one watch even with that painfully obvious issue thus leading again to the argument that Ships is at the very least one of 2015's top new independent movies. It just can't be said that it is the year's best because of that issue.
Ships is one of this year's best new independent movies. This is even despite the noticable issue of its syncing between its audio and video throughout. It is so well worth the watch because of its largely original and creative script. Thanks to writer/director Elif Refig's attention to detail, it proves itself to be anything but just another existential coming of age piece. Rather it is something much deeper that will keep audiences engaged throughout the course of its ninety-two minute run time. It is just one part of the whole that makes this movie worth the watch. The inclusion of its companion bonus short film Man To Be is one more reason that this presentation proves so powerful. Just as with Ships, Man To Be proves so enjoyable thanks to its script. The acting of its cast adds even more enjoyment to this deeply human story. It presents its young lead actor having to grow up very fast because of some very difficult situations. He lives at home with his mother, grandmother, and uncle, who happens to be a not so nice person. He plays a direct role in him becoming a man at a far too young age, as he is forced into situations to which no one at his age should be exposed. From seeing the girl he is crushing going off with his uncle, to having to save his uncle from some very bad men, to having to do his uncle's dirty work trying to convince his grandmother to sell her house, the young man in this movie faces some very difficult situations. He is even forced to make a literal life and death situation in the film's climax that no one will see coming. The ending won't be given away, but he comes out okay. Though it can be said that as is evidenced in the film's final scene how okay is debatable. It and the rest of the film will leave viewers talking just as much as they will in watching Ships. This being the case, the combination of both movies together makes Ships even more clearly a must see. This is despite both films suffering from a painfully obvious issue with the synching of their audio and video. Even with that problem noted, the movie's scripts and the work of each movie's cast together proves Ships in whole to be a must see for anyone wanting to escape the monotony of Hollywood's endless lust for prequels, sequels, and reboots and in turn one of the year's best new independent movies.
While not perfect (thanks to the issues with its production values) Ships is not an altogether awful movie. Rather it is actually a surprisingly interesting film that any true lover of the film arts will want to see. Its script and the work of the movie's cast coupled with both noted elements of Man To Be make the presentation in whole one of this year's best new independent movies. It is available now and can be ordered online via Indiepix Films' online store at http://www.indiepixfilms.com/film/5945#.VeC0HvZViko. More information on this and other titles from Indiepix Films is available online now at:
Website: http://www.indiepixfilms.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/indiepixfilms
Twitter: http://twitter.com/IndiePixFilms
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Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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