StyleSk8r
At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Siflutter
It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.
Brenda
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
l_rawjalaurence
Set in the Black Sea area of Turkey, BAL is a vivid depiction of village life under threat. Yakup (Erdal Besikcioglu) tries to make a living collecting honey, but finds that there is no money in it. He travels to another part of the region in search of better prospects, but meets a sticky end. His fellow-villagers eke out an existence through traditional pursuits such as rope-making, but they cannot really survive. The main focus of the action is on Yusuf (Bora Altas) a young boy who feels unable to communicate with the outside world; possessed of a stammer, he is frequently laughed at by his classmates. The only was he can survive is through dreams of a better life - whether it be in the Black Sea region, or as symbolized by the elements (such as the moon). The cinematic style is slow, with plenty of long shots allowing viewers to contemplate the characters' reactions within the frame. However director Semih Kaplanoglu uses this style to make an acute commentary on a declining way of life, as well as showing the ways in which children are often forced to do things they don't want to, both at home and at school. A complex film that befits repeated viewings.
Errington_92
The slow pace of Bal works to great affect as it explores the tribulations of a young boy not only with the conventional use of a storyline narrative but also with a range of beautiful compositions which equals the sophisticated style of vivid portraits.Yusuf is a young boy who is an outsider yet vastly intelligent. He is at odds with his school life never fitting in amongst his peers, constantly watching them from a distance along with struggling in parts of his studies. When Yusuf stutters through a reading in class minimal techniques are used, only the camera slowly tracking towards Yusuf and multiple POV shots of school peers focusing on Yusuf in awkward silence contain the scenes vibe yet it strikes such an impact emotionally feeling Yusuf's embarrassment. Whereas watching Yusuf with his Father in a simple static shot as they work and explore in the local woodlands shows his deep connection with nature by knowing the names and mannerisms of various plants, it is wonderful to witness the bond the pair have and to feel Yusuf's tranquillity. The techniques used to capture these moments are simple yet effective showing the brilliance of Bal.Bal contains strong visual elements not only in the minimal techniques used to capture Yusuf's story but in the compositions which are styled with outstanding detail. Yusuf sat alone in a barn facing the camera in mostly dark lighting to inhabit his depressing mood before the head of his Father's donkey appears from behind Yusuf to provide comic relief convey his mood in the same manner a later dream sequence. After his Father goes missing Yusuf begins to have haunting dreams, one of which is himself stood alone in the forest with the visuals being one of a greyish palette before dead bees drop into his hand as a foreboding of his Father's death.In a way it is hard to describe Bal as a film because its much more. Bal is a piece of visual art that transcends from its quiet storyline to present the atmosphere and emotions embedded in Yusuf's life as well as those around him with striking use of compositions and ingenuity. Bal is not a viewing experience for everyone, only those who appreciate the visual sophistication celluloid can offer will be moved by this film.
Boloxxxi
This movie is about the daily routine of a simple, rural Turkish family; a father (who collects honey for a living), a mother (who works around the home), and a child (who goes to school). The story is told from the perspective of the child, a young boy. "Daily routine" is the key phrase here, because this is exactly what you see. Nothing particularly eventful happens until towards the end of the movie. So basically you watch the kid going to school, and at school; the father going to work, and at work; the mother working around the home, harvesting or cooking. Interspersed among this is the occasional meal at table with modest conversation and interaction, and some brief father and son time around the home. That's it.The only drama or suspense for most of the movie concerns the difficulty the boy is having learning to read which threads throughout the film to the very end. What I've described would be completely uninteresting told from an adult perspective. So it's the boy who is carrying this movie (cute kid). It's his perspective --which is very serious and thoughtful-- that holds your attention any length of time. But we are, to be honest, not only interested in the boy's character in the film, but also the boy playing the character himself. He is impressively disciplined for someone that young. But even the greatest actor needs something to work with besides daily routine which I can see anytime I want to by looking out my window. So I did zone out after awhile (No, I don't do drugs!) near the middle of the film somewhere.One of the noteworthy and curious things about the movie is how subdued this family is; disciplined even. There are no great expressions of happiness or sadness for most of the film. There was the brief smile once in awhile, but that's as far as it went; a serious expression on all faces dominated throughout. So I didn't get the impression that this was a particularly happy family. But at the same time, I didn't feel that it was out of the norm either. So maybe they were happy --or at least content "in their own way". Finally, I did not like the way the movie ended for principally 2 reasons: (1) This is a simple, hard-working family that did not have that much and did not "seem" all that happy to begin with. (2) The movie again, was pretty uneventful, as described, and so the only way it could possibly sustain your interest from beginning to end is if you like this family. I did. And so for these 2 reasons Boloxxxi felt like he was kicked in the nuts by the writer. A plague on the bastard! Love (Ironic, aren't I?), Boloxxxi.
unallar
I had wanted to see Bal for a long tie. Finally, I watched it yesterday. Bal is an interesting movie. When a movie has very little action but keeps your attention for two hours, you develop a feeling of respect for the team who made it. You are convinced that making such a movie has lots of difficulty involved, and this mere fact evokes feelings of respect for it within you. Nevertheless, respect does not automatically bring the status of being good to it. Especially, if the movie attempts to give almost all its messages through symbols, looks and constantly rotating camera scenes, another difficulty is brought up, which, in turn, gives rise to evoking feelings of respect for it within you again. This time, the source is the fact that you feel ignorant to decode those messages. In addition, watching Bal is like viewing a Discovery Channel documentary in that the movies presents lots of scenes of both natural and man-made surroundings. However, there is a clear difference between the Discovery Channel documentary and Bal as the events made up of messages in the movie are not coherent and form a congruent story. At the end of the movie, I wanted very much to have conversations with the Jury in Berlin to have a glimpse of what they had thought in honeying Bal with a prestigious award.
