I loved Three Monkeys. The film is slow, but constructed with great skill. An example. The dark clouds gathering over an argument by the river lead via a police interview, into a quiet reflective scene with creaking windows, ominous wind, barking dogs, crickets and minimal dialogue where the characters and the audience reflect. It is masterful, and as the train sounds fill the sensory space, with just some breathing and a little sobbing the tension builds until you see two characters on the terrace and one framed in the doorway, the thunder sounds again to pull the three monkeys back into one room facing each other. There has been one significant piece of dialogue and several possible actions have been wordlessly considered, and we as an audience feel them. It is an amazingly eloquent piece of filmmaking that is worth the price of admission on it’s own.
Zeitgeist Films (who previously released Climates) is now releasing Three Monkeys in the US. It is opening in New York on May 1 2009. http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/3monkeys
Antonius Block
I was worried Ceylan’s new film would be buried away with the rest of New Yorker’s wonderful library when the company crumbled earlier this year but now it seems like this finally has a US release date? Has anyone seen it yet? Distant was amazing and Climates so beautiful…