Cici (2022) Movie Review – A confusing insight into the depths of grief, remorse and nostalgia that falls flat

A misguided look in the darkest depths of nostalgia and remorse that falls in the middle.

The Turkish drama that is available on Netflix is primarily focused on a family who leaves their village and moves to the city after suffering the loss of a lifetime – the death of their abusive father. The story is primarily centered around the events leading up to the family’s return following thirty years away, and then a re-visit of the shocking revelation. They are soon faced with a myriad of emotions, including shocking revelations that divide them or cause them to feel closer than they were before.

In a Turkish farm in the ’70s, the late Mr. Bekir rules his household with total authority during the opening portion of the emotional drama. Havva Bekir, his wife, is furious with Bekir for treating his children poorly and doing shady business with her. The older son Kadir is frequently hit by Bekir. Additionally, he refuses to allow his children to go to school. Saliha is his child. She is known to go on dates with Cemil the boy who works on the estate. After scolding Kadir the other day, the patriarch is sick and dies.

When the usual and often aggressive patriarchal figure of the household dies from a severe cold or disease, their mother Haava assumes the responsibility for the family’s dysfunction, and she takes her children out of the town with hopes of a brighter future. Kadir The second son, who was the one who experienced the most suffering as a kid, finds his voice through filmmaking and utilizes cinema to convey his unresolved emotions. This is the central storyline of Berkun’s film.

There is a Turkish phrase “Cici” that means “beautiful” or “pleasant”, which is slightly misleading when it comes to the film’s long slow-burning, tragic storyline. The tragi-drama offers an inexplicably deep look into the depths and complexities of grief regret, sorrow, and nostalgia.

Overall the performances are excellent There are also some amazing cinematographic sequences. The latter is the film’s most impressive element. The director of photography is proficient in lighting too, which can be seen in the film. Beautiful scenery is featured in the film and we are presented with charming folk songs.

The main problem with Cici is the speed at which it runs, despite outstanding performances. Cici has many static scenes, which give it a stage-like feel. The scenes are often repeated because some of the actors function as a filmmaker. There are plenty of unnecessary dialogues due to the relationship between the siblings is not explored or addressed. Furthermore, many dialogs in the film appear to be unimportant and insignificant.

There is no information about Kadir’s film. While the actors discuss the movie, they confine his story to the single scene in which his father punished him by spraying him with a garden hose. In actual fact, it’s not even the most harrowing incident we saw Bekir doing. In addition, the film spends a lot of time to try and introduce Cemil as a way to create a romantic spark between Cemil and Saliha. It also shows the rivalry between Cemil and Kadir. But, ultimately, all of this is a waste because Cemil’s greatest contribution to the story is nothing more than his random bursts of singing at the worst times.

The story is not greatly enhanced the plot by the other characters introduced in the final part either. Saliha’s son Naz is a loud, and edgy teenager that only is a stereotype. Yusuf’s wife and child aren’t so important to the storyline it could be omitted from the film.

It isn’t clear what we learn about the characters or their deeper traumas in the final scene. The film depicts the characters as living inside their respective bubbles however, it fails to convince viewers that their connections are anything to be concerned about. Even though all of them had difficulties growing up due to their fathers They all claim that the loss of their patriarch only caused more problems.

While the film appears to be a story that is compelling but it’s not executed well. Certain scenes are repeated and when they’re vital, we’re not given additional context in the other scenes. The filmmaker squanders facts that aren’t easy to understand, and assumes that we already know what it is. Since trauma is at the center of the story the film could have done more to explore the theme but doesn’t even touch the subject.

While Cici examines sensitive topics such as emotional trauma, suppressing feelings, and guilt, it’s quite disappointing to find yourself not able to feel or empathize with something with any one of these characters. Unfortunately, despite the concept which suggests that the film is a possibility, it just falls in the middle.