REVIEW | My Father’s Violin: Predictable writing, great acting

Express News Service

The Turkish film, My Father’s Violin, is an earnest attempt by director Andac Haznedaroglu to tell a heartfelt, layered drama in which characters get thrown into difficult, emotional situations. The story is centred on two brothers, Mehmet (Engin Altan Duzyatan) and Ali Razir (Selim Erdogan), who meet decades after escaping from their abusive guardian. Poverty has not been kind to Ali, who lives as a street musician and hides a deadly secret from his daughter Ozlem (Gulizar Nisa Uray). Ali needs to secure Ozlem’s future on account of impending death, and to this end, he is forced to return to his brother, Mehmet. The latter, a successful musician with an upcoming concert, still harbours anger over what he deems to be sibling abandonment.

This story about brothers is also fascinatingly one about the uncle-niece relationship. The film details how Mehmet is forced to take his niece in, and while he is insensitive and cold-hearted at the beginning, the story is about the eventual transformation. The characterisation of the brothers is, interestingly, mirrored in their choice of music. Ali’s music is street and upbeat, while Mehmet’s is melancholic. Meanwhile, there’s his wife, Suna (Belcim Bilgin), who begins to find completion as she sees Ozlem like her own child.

My Father’s Violin takes on the onerous task of following all these relationship threads and the interpersonal dynamics. Given the complexities involved, the film doesn’t entirely do justice to all the depth. For instance, we never see Ozlem grieve the death of her father. The film instead is keener to focus on Mehmet’s perspective. Its aim is to chart the transformation of this ruthless, broken man. The screenplay gets predictable as you can see exactly where this story is headed. All the melodrama doesn’t help either. This is perhaps why that final scene that is meant to have us weeping, doesn’t quite accomplish that.

The performances, especially of the lead characters, are splendid. Established actors like Engin Altan and Belcim pull off convincing performances, while Gulizar Nisa Uray’s performance establishes that she is one to look out for. The actor puts all her heart into Ozlem and makes us really pine for her struggles. The film’s colourful, picturesque visuals serve as an antidote for the lack of colour in the lives of these characters. 

Melodramas work when we connect with characters and when the writing takes us to unexpected places. My Father’s Violin, however, doesn’t succeed on both counts, and for that, is forgettable, even if at times, enjoyable.

My Father’s Violin
Director: Andaç Haznedaroglu
Genre: Drama
Platform: Netflix
Language: Turkish
Rating: 3/5