It needs to be long, and it needs to be indirect, because the film is about how sad truths can be revealed during the slow process of doing a job. The Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan doesn't slap us with big dramatic moments, but allows us to live along with his characters as things occur to them. Nuri Bilge Ceylan, one of Turkey's best directors, has a deep understanding of human nature. He loves his characters and empathizes with them. They deserve better than to be shuttled around in a facile plot. They deserve empathy. So do we all.

The original title of the film is Bir Zamanlar Anadolu'da.

There has been a lot of debate about this movie. Over the course of the movie are many questions asked and much detail about the characters revealed? Definitely. Does it do all of this in a manner that at times feels excruciating? Yeah. I love a good slow-burning drama but I have to admit that this film tested me. At a run time of two and a half hours I can't say that the payoffs were entirely worth it. follow me at https://IHATEBadMovies.com or facebook IHATEBadMovies