Recai Karagöz directed “Art of Love”, a Turkish romantic thriller film slated for 2024 release, featuring Esra Bilgiç and Birkan Sokullu. The film was released on Netflix on March 14, 2024. It touches on themes of love, betrayal, and elaborate integrations of art theft.
Synopsis:
The plot follows Alin (Esra Bilgiç), an Interpol officer specializing in art crimes. Her life turns upside down when she uncovers an elusive art thief, who has been her ex-fiance, Güney (Birkan Sokullu). Alin is heartbroken after the love of her life, Güney, vanished out of the blue, but is now an expert in her field. To make matters worse, she has to grapple with facing her past love while doing her duty. Determined to capture her ex-fiance, Alin lays a trap for him during his next crime. The climax is intriguing as Alin has to face her ex which blurs the lines between her personal vendetta and professional duty.
Cast & Crew:
Birkan Sokullu as Güney: Sokullu plays an enigmatic and wealthy art thief that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the film with his unknown motives.
Esra Bilgiç as Alin: Bilgiç is the Interpol officer whose actions throughout the film showcase her internal battle of her longing feelings for Güney and her desire to serve justice.
Fırat Tanış as Faysal: Tanış portrays a character that is deeply connected to both Alin and Güney which adds depth to the story. He plays an essential role in the film.
Ushan Çakır as Ozan: The character’s role adds further complexities to the plot and him with the lead characters. It is clear from the story that he shapes the interactions of the central characters.
Directed by Recai Karagöz and written by Pelin Karamehmetoğlu, the film benefits from the score of Mert Oktan and the photography of Olcay Oguz who elegantly depicts the contrasting sceneries of Prague a and Istanbul.
Production Insights:
Art of Love began principal photography in June of 2023, starting with scenes shot in Prague and continued in Istanbul. The production ended in July of 2023. These locations alone bring a lot of value to the film, as the historic sport of Prague sets an incredible backdrop which captures the pulsating spirit of Istanbul.
Critical Reception:
The responses to the film have been quite mixed. Barbara Shulgasser-Parker from Common Sense Media gave 1 out of 5 stars while Mrinal Rajaram from Cinema Express rated it 2 out of 5, remarking that it has a few charming elements, while over all feeling clichéd. Sveva Di Palma from Cinematographe. It gave 2.6 stars while Mariam Fakhreddine from The Eastern Echo was comparatively lenient with his rating of 6.5 out of 10, commenting on the film’s chemistry and thrilling aspects.
Analysis:
“Art of Love” deal with romance and suspense, and focuses on the struggle of rekindled love more so when trickery is involved.
It’s Sokullu and Bilgiç’s chemistry that the film focuses on, and this helps bring to life the authenticity of the relationship. Themes of love and duty are explored, alongside trust issues, betrayal, and moral ambiguity.
It’s visually pleasing, the cinematography captures all of its settings, and the film does not neglect its score, which adds emphasis to the more emotional moments in the narrative.
A few critics argue that some plot twists are boring and too predictable because they are standard in most romantic thrillers, and claim the film has lost its originality. The film still preserves the mystery of how the plot would close, leaving the audience with emotions.
Conclusion:
In “Art of Love” romance and supernatural fantasy are gracefully meshed with a captivating performance by the leading actors. Even though the film, and especially Sokullu and Bilgiç’s chemistry, touch on well-known concepts, it has its particular nuances that make it unique. Overall, the film is an entertaining watch; for anyone who enjoys love blended with suspense in an artistic form, “Art of Love” surely does not disappoint.
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