Pelin Esmer’s first feature in seven years toys with notions of fandom and fanaticism, filmmaking and fabulating
Just minutes into Pelin Esmer’s first feature in seven years, the troubled protagonist Aliye (Merve Asya Özgür) drops the titular line: an indicator of the honeyed tale’s nonchalant positivity. Speaking directly into the camera as if addressing an invisible audience, the young woman describes herself as a tough crime investigator. According to her, it’s a demanding job, but that’s a fair price for living the life of her dreams. Indeed she does, only in a different way than her words suggest. In fact, the 25-year-old is merely a cleaning lady for the woman whose life she appropriated. Aliye has the disturbing and intrusive habit of secretly slipping into invented identities. She takes on a client’s persona as easily as their clothes.
It’s a profoundly menacing opening scene, revealing the deceptively dainty and demure protagonist to have serious mental issues: a perfect setup for a psychological thriller. Too bad, the Turkish director-writer treats her story of pathological lying and pretension like a romantic comedy. An irreverent air and flimsy humor increase the scenario’s underlying creepiness which is never acknowledged. Set in the small coastal town of Söke during a film festival, the story centers on two cliché contrasting figures: Levent (Timuçin Esen), an elderly Turkish filmmaker attending as a honorary guest, and his youthful, pretty devotee Aliyem.
The celebrated director, sulking from a recent divorce and living again with his mother, starts reluctant work on a new feature project. Reserved and self-occupied, Levent retreats into himself rather than engage with a world that pretty much turns around him. Meanwhile, Aliye becomes pathologically obsessed with him, picking up interview snippets and reviews to piece together her personal imaginative world. Finally, she reaches out to Levent through anonymous voice messages. Her misguided idealization and auto-fictional fairytales intermingle with his creative capriciousness. Intrigued by her youthful passion and devotion, Levent listens as Aliye’s aural fan fiction. Partly she crafts these stories to please him, partly to be more like him.
Their opposing positions are equally twisted and toxic: She is the sociopathic super fan who cheats and lies her way into his private life. He is the aging male artist, bolstered by fame, fortune, and status, who meets his real-life manic pixie dream girl. It’s certainly an interesting encounter, brimming with destructive dynamics. However, the shallow plot never explores any of the complex and controversial themes it touches upon: celebrity catfishing, psychopathological fan culture, the power imbalance between older male stars and their young, vulnerable female admirers, self-deception and co-dependency. Instead, a sugary soundtrack, dreamy camera images, and playful mood romanticize the unlikely constellation.
Both characters profit from their relationship on multiple levels. Levent finds renewed inspiration and lust for life. Aliye gains confidence and purpose from his attention. Their newly formed bond evolves into a creative collaboration that allows both to transform their lives. Set within Söke’s time-worn streets and the retro interiors of a provincial hotel, the scenery has a fleeting charm. Cinematographer Barbu Bălășoiu uses simple, naturalistic framing to draw attention to fleeting gestures and unspoken emotions. Esmer’s meta-cinematic approach of juxtaposing fictional storytelling with a mundane reality blurs the lines between Aliye’s elaborate conceptions, her fascination with Levent’s work, and the director’s inner musings.
The danger and potential of imaginary alternative identities, as well as the porous border between reality and fiction remain unexplored. Özgür’s gentle, treacherously innocent performance adds emotional layers to her inconclusive character. Esen plays the jaded artist capable and confident. Their talent is sadly wasted on figures lacking depth and coherence. Ironically, the romanticization and normalization of fan fanaticism and emotional exploitation make this tale of personal myth-making worthwhile. But not so much for cinematic qualities as for thematic analysis.
- OT: O da Bir Şey mi
- Director: Pelin Esmer
- Year: 2025
