Sunday, October 21, 2012

Kuma (***1/2)

The title of this film references a Muslim custom of plural marriage. The title character is sent from Turkey to Austria to become a second wife to a much older man, so you might expect the plot to revolve around the jealousy of the first wife, the oppression of patriarchal family structures, and so on. But it does not. In fact, the two wives become close, and the resentment comes from elsewhere in the household.

In fact, the drama comes from a different kind of culture clash and depicts the tensions of maintaining a traditional lifestyle in a relatively secular country. Begüm Akkaya gives a sensitive performance as a the self-effacing younger woman. A couple of surprising plot turns make this as dramatically compelling as it is in terms of the central characters.

IMDb link

viewed 10/21/12 12:00 noon at Ritz East [Philadelphia Film Festival screening] and reviewed 3/17/13

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