Uzak (2002)

Yusuf goes to Istambul looking for a job on a ship. He lives with his cousin Mahmut, a cynical photographer who seems to enjoy watching Tv more than anything else. Mahmut does not seem happy about having a guest in his home. He broods over his ex-wife. He watches Stalker when Yusuf is in the room, just to put on some porn when his cousin ambles off. They have a strained relationship. The prospect of getting a job is not really good for Yusuf, so he walks around on the streets, and bothers Mahmud with his presence in the apartment. To a great extent, this is a film about space. The title, Uzak, means distance. Yusuf's and Mahmut's relationship is not so much unraveled by words, but rather we see what they feel about each other in how they react to shared space; damp socks on a radiator, traces of cigarette ash, an empty corridor. The presence of the other is, for the most part, mediated through the belongings of the other. But none of them seems really at home in Mahmut's apartment. We also see these two characters on their own, in cafés, checking out women, walking. And the urban locations seem no less bleak than Mahmut's tidy apartment.

There are many scenes that have a perfect set up and atmosphere - along with a quiet sense of humour. In one of them, Mahmut takes Yusuf with him on a trip on which he is supposed to work. They drive by a scenic little village with fluffy sheep on a hill. At first, Mahmut deliberates over whether they should stop so he could take a picture, but then he says in a gruff voice, "I don't bother". There are several scenes involving smoking. We see Yusuf smoking on Mahmut's balcony. He listens to the wind-chimes and gazes out over the city.
Uzak overstates nothing. It's a good film in that relies on the medium. People don't have to mull their feelings over in psychologically explicit dialogue. (The scenes involving half-stalking female strangers might approximate the overstated) The images of snow-laden Istambul are very beautiful and for the most part, Ceylan's use of long shots work. After I finished watching Uzak I realized there was no music except for the sounds of the specific locations of the film.