For Love and Honour (2007)

Clearly a disappointment.

First of all, this movie is a bad mix between godfather and eskiya. Also, all the actors are playing the roles that they've exercised in their previous ones. No add-on to characters, no personal interpretation. Nothing.

Additionally, editing was done as a cheap job, which is killing a potentially good script. Plans add-up to each other like sticked with a glue.

Characters are not giving deep, satisfactory make believe performances, which convinces you that you've actually come to a 2nd class TV movie.

Not advised, but if you like the godfather like movies, or a power slave which adores empty power show offs, then buy the DVD.

Fmovies: Unbelievable, exploitative and often downright silly, Kabadayi is a disappointment of the first order. One of Turkish cinema's best loved actors, Sener Sen, reprises his character from Eskiya (1996), without bothering to add a single nuance to his performance. Yavuz Turgul, writer/director of Eskiya, is also responsible for this script. However, where Eskiya managed to convey serious social messages within a rousing tale of violence and its consequences, Kabadayi never rises above the level of a second rate Hong Kong tale of revenge. Kenan Imirzalioglu, a reliable if limited leading man, overacts to the point of caricature as the villain of the piece, Devran. A number of stalwarts of modern Turkish cinema bravely try to inject some individuality into their clichéd characters without success. Young leads, Ismail Hacioglu (Murat) and Asli Tandogan (Karaca) look good but act with the vivacity of a couple of shop window mannequins that were given temporary lives. Editing is a disaster and the script appears to have run away from its writer to be completed during the shoot. There is plenty of unintended comedy – especially during the final climax… If it weren't preceded with fanfare that raised expectations and invited obvious comparisons to Eskiya (one of the most involving Turkish films of recent times) the disappointment would not have been that great. As it stands, the film is a disgrace on all fronts. Comparisons to works of Coppola and Scorsese would have been insulting if they weren't so outrageously comical. 1/10.

Kabadayi was made very close to Eskiya. After the success of Eskiya, I think Yavuz Turgul tried to catch an opportunity with the same concept. If he use different story, I bet he would signed a signature on better movie.

Sener Sen was artistic indeed, he can play every kind of character with an accomplishment. I got astonished with the performance of Kenan Imirzalioglu. I did not think that he would play successfully bad tempered characters, bu he proved that he could. As always Rasim Oztekin did great performance. Performances of Ismail Hacioglu, Asli Tandogan and Süleyman Turan were not on the attic, I can say that they were distributed in the middle level.

Typical from 1970's Turkish movies cliché's were used in Kabadayi. There were humor also in the body of the movie. When the action goes on, we can hear funny jokes from characters. That makes smoother the story.

On the whole Kabadayi is a good movie but do not build your expectations on the peek.

For Love and Honour fmovies. Because of his son, a retired honest bully (Sener SEN) have to be against to young one (Kenan IMIRZALIOGLU). Ali Osman (Sener SEN) has chosen a peaceful life and started to wait death. But after an unexpected news from his old lover, he have to become a man he wouldn't like to be. As he struggle with desperate illness, he wants to safe his son from badness.

When you look at the subject choice, your expectation from the movie becomes too much.

Two performances differs from remainder of the film. Alive legend of Turkish cinema Sener SEN and shining star of that kind of movies Kenan IMIRZALIOGLU.

By the choice of better artists/actresses and dialogs, i think this movie could have been much more powerful and effective...

Yavuz Turgul who is one of the best directors in Turkey. Here he is the script writer of the movie. I just watched it and we were shocked how late the time was. We didn't know the length of the movie but although it is 140 minutes the film flows like a butter in the pan. This film is amazing, the script and the work of all crew is good. Şener Şen is as good as always, and the other characters are pretty good but the character Sürmeli is one step beyond them. Rasim Oztekin steals role even from Şener Şen many times. Although this story tells the story of hard man's hard actions, the main story stands on love and in this movie even the bad character has a reason for what he does... Friendship, love, and courage. If you want to watch a good film about these and many deep feelings go and watch this. In this dustbin of crap movies this will be a fresh breath in your speedy life.....

I proclaim that, from the day this film was released on, Turkish cinema exists! Monumental acting (Kenan İmirzalıoğlu, first time in his decade old career, is an actor in this one, and perfectly so), consistent storyline with all taboos hitherto nigh untouchable (corrupt Police, state relations of organized crime, torture and humiliation in prison and under custody etc.) turned upside down in a gentle and natural way not over-pressing things in a fist waving manner, a very well done final scene in which you swing between tears and laughter and overall bright regie... No Shakespearean heroes/villains cliché of Turkish films/TV; crafty and in depth character building and realization with an antagonist whom you almost pity.

Especially a gem if you wish to hear the Istanbul dialect of Turkish, which is mostly fading into memories with the older generations, spoken with character and attire.

Most recommended. (Heavy swearing and mild sexuality warning)