Climates, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, darling of the festival circuit and maker of the brilliant Uzak, is another stark and austere drama on man’s inherent need and failure to connect. Set in an increasingly detached and distant Turkish diaspora, Climates is about the breakdown of a seemingly happy relationship where the resultant turbulence felt by the concerned couple is more inward than outward. A university professor and his much younger girlfriend who works for a TV channel (played, in a brave casting decision, by the director and his real-life wife) who, while on a vacation after a long time, realize that they have drifted too apart emotionally to remain happy together. However, despite rekindling a raw physical affair with an old flame, the laconic guy realizes that he is now lonelier than ever before, and thus makes one last attempt to bridge the huge chasm that has developed between him and his former fiancé. The narrative is slow, and long moments of silence rather than words define most of the proceedings – thus making this a difficult watch for most. Contrarily, if one is willing to put in some effort and allow the movie to reveal its various layers and subtleties, he will not regret watching this intense and beautifully photographed human drama.
Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Genre: Drama/Psychological Drama
Language: Turkish
Country: Turkey
