Tilly Gokbudak
Kirmizi is the Turkish word for red. The Woman in Red was a mid-80s comedy hit which starred and was directed by Gene Wilder. It was based on a French film called "Pardon Mon Affaire" with the great Jean Rochefort in the lead. "Asik Oldum-I Feel in Love" is based on "The Woman in Red" and even has that certain Stevie Wonder which Jack Black so despised in "High Fidelity" in its' soundtrack. Sener Sen, the Turkish actor starring in this film is actually a comic genius. He was great in "Zugrut Aga" and "Eskiya," but Mr. Sen is rather flat in this film. By the production standards of Turkish films from this era- which have improved tremendously in 20 years- this is not a 'bad film.' But, it is still a bore for those of us who have seen the original- err, the remake. I would like to see the original as I am a big fan of French cinema as well. This is not the first time a Turkish film has been a remake of a remake. The most interesting example- that I know of-- is "Yedi Belalilar" which means "The 7 Bastards." It is an unusual remake of "The Magnificient 7" which was a remake of the great Kurosawa epic "The 7 Samurai." The Turkish version starred Yilmaz Guney, who went on to become the most widely recognized Turkish filmmaker in international film circles. Guney lived his later years in exile, mainly due to his socialist politics which were also a deep part of his films which stemmed from his Kurdish ethnicity. As a Turkish-American, I respect Guney, especially for "Yol," though I see Turkey in much more positive light than he did. Alas, in "Asik Oldum" there are no hints of artistic brilliance though Sen has since proven that, like Guney, he can produce quality work on both sides of the camera. 5 out of 10. A good curiousity, but not much more.
