Something Useful – Ise yarar bir sey (2017)

Directed by: Pelin Esmer | 107 minutes | drama | Actors: Basak Köklükaya, Öykü Karayel, Yigit Özsener, Aysenil Samlioglu, Berfu Öngören, Melih Duzenli, Sedat Kalkavan, Fatih Sevdi, Ibrahim Selim, Süleyman Karaahmet, Aydan Kalinaga, Neslihan Özhantürk, Ozantürk

One train, one long night, one destination, two women. Turkish filmmaker Pelin Esmer used these elements in ‘Something Useful’ (‘Ise yarar bir sey’) for a story that keeps the viewer constantly on the lookout: what will happen, what choices will be made and what secrets are the women keeping from each other behind?

Chance encounters on the train: in the past – both in movies and in real life – it has already resulted in a lot of special things: from romantic (‘Before Sunrise’) to horrific (‘Strangers on a Train’). The first part of ‘Something Useful’ is set during such a train journey. The setting is well chosen. Little by little we get to know the two women – and they each other, as far as they allow, but as with a journey, we also see small fragments of the lives of others. That of the ladies who come to accompany the two protagonists in the dining car, for example, the graffiti artist… It keeps the film interesting and unpredictable, because you never know what role someone will play later in the story.

And that’s what ‘Something Useful’ is all about. The choices people make can suddenly have an impact on someone else’s life. What for one person is a small detour, a distraction, perhaps to muster the courage for something else, can have major consequences for another.

Once the two women reach their destination and exit the train, the film loses some momentum. It is then too thick on top of where the story goes. Although the conversations between the man the women meet and the dialogues between former classmates at a reunion seem lifelike – captured in a beautiful tracking shot – the tension is removed from the story and the viewer’s attention wanes more easily. The poetic layer that the film then gets is not enough compensation for the rock-solid first part of ‘Something Useful’.

By the way, don’t let that get in the way of watching this beautiful Turkish film. The two actresses are very good and the camera work is to die for. Gökhan Tiryaki, renowned cinematographer (‘Iklimler’, ‘Once Upon a Time in Anatolia’, ‘Winter Sleep’) has an eye for detail and uses interesting ways to capture the environment in the picture. A film that inspires you to look at the world differently and chance encounters.