Uzak (Distant) (2004)
87%RT Audience Score: 82%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins
Distant” is a film that, while not without its merits, ultimately falls short of its potential. The washed-out visuals and gaunt atmosphere create a sense of detachment that may be intentional, but ultimately detracts from the emotional impact of the story. However, the film’s moments of droll humor and humanely observant filmmaking are minor miracles that elevate the experience. While the film may not be for everyone, those who appreciate a slow, attentive cinema will find much to admire here.
Distant” is like a warning, but not the kind that tells you to stay away from a haunted house. It’s more like a warning that you might fall asleep during this movie. Sure, there are some beautiful visuals and a bit of droll humor, but it’s a gaunt affair that’s somewhat stately in progress. It’s like the director wanted to mimic Antonioni and Ozu, but still has much to learn about crafting quiet scenes. However, if you’re looking for a movie about the feeling of being alive, the sensation of existence, and everything in between, then this might be the movie for you. Just make sure you have a cup of coffee nearby.
Production Company(ies)
Bold Films, Blumhouse Productions, Right of Way Films,
Distributor
New Yorker Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Unrated
Year of Release
2004
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 49m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 12, 2004 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2007
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Muzaffer Özdemir, Mehmet Emin Toprak, Zuhal Gencer, Nazan Kirilmis, Feridun Koc, Fatma Ceylan, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, written by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, drama, PG-13, Turkish language, box office gross $10.2K, reviewed by Brandon Judell, Antonia Quirke, Jeff Shannon, Kenneth Turan, Desson Thomson, Stephen Hunter, Ray Pride, PJ Nabarro, Josh Ralske, Christopher Null, Dennis Schwartz, E! Staff, hauntingly beautiful, pervasive silence, Istanbul, job search, clash of personalities, uncomfortable similarities, well-to-do photographer, countrified cousin, creature violence, some strong language, New Yorker Films, surround sound, Dolby Digital, flat aspect ratio
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Zuhal Gencer – Nazan
Nazan Kirilmis – The Lover
Feridun Koc – Janitor
Fatma Ceylan – Mother
Emin Toprak – Yusuf
Director(s)
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Writer(s)
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Producer(s)
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins
Academy Awards
All Critics (46) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (6)
“Distant,” that’s more like a warning than a title . . . . The two leads will eventually clash, but not enough to make this offering worthy of sitting through.
June 5, 2021
Brandon Judell
indieWire
TOP CRITIC
There is plenty to admire here, but the movie is a gaunt affair, with something ruinously washed-out about it.
December 14, 2017
Antonia Quirke
London Evening Standard
TOP CRITIC
Deeply compassionate and frequently amusing, qualifying as a minor miracle of humanely observant filmmaking.
January 28, 2005 | Rating: 3/4
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
A beautifully made, unapologetically artistic piece of work.
September 24, 2004 | Rating: 5/5
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Ultimately, it becomes a movie about the feeling of being alive, the sensation of existence. It’s a movie, in a way, about everything.
July 23, 2004
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Straightforward, droll, brutally honest and arresting, if somewhat stately in progress.
July 23, 2004
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
It is very sad but also very beautiful. (Particularly after snow flocks the gray-on-gray city.) There is one breathtaking moment, a scene involving a beached tanker in snow, that is merely the best of dozens of indelible fragments.
June 23, 2022 | Rating: 10/10
Ray Pride
Newcity
Ceylan’s cinema affects a solipsism that leads to a heightened sense of one’s own surroundings – thus creating not a slow cinema but an extremely attentive cinema.
December 2, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
PJ Nabarro
One Room With A View
The tale has a deceptive, emotional complexity that builds to a surprisingly heartrending impact.
September 8, 2005 | Rating: 8/10
Josh Ralske
All Movie Guide
He’d love to mimic Antonioni and Ozu, but Ceylan still has much to learn about crafting quiet scenes
March 26, 2005 | Rating: 2.5/5
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
A startlingly quiet film that is buoyed by a droll humor, splendid visuals and bittersweet reflections into the human condition.
January 18, 2005 | Rating: A+
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
It’s bleak, yes, but it’s beautiful in equal measure.
October 1, 2004 | Rating: A
E! Staff
E! Online…
Plot
After losing his job, Yusuf travels to Istanbul to find work and stays with his cousin Mahmut, a photographer, but their differences in personality and similarities cause tension between them in the hauntingly beautiful drama, Distant.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Distant on Fresh Kernels.
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