While Ali Helnwein’s euphoric score helps the awe-inspiring mood along, the movie’s just as effective when devoid of artifice, as the bustle of the street life overtakes the frame, and the dogs make their way through an indifferent landscape. Fortunately, these ones don’t harbor any ill will - but as the animals travel across rickey staircases and empty metro stations, they embody a singular kind of melancholy and isolation. Despite the “Kedi” echoes, the movie sometimes recalls the dystopian aspects of “White God,” the Hungarian thriller about rebellious dogs that also inhabits their point of view. However, “Stray” finds its best self when the imagery takes on the poetic, even haunting quality of a world defined by abandonment. Their casual indifference to the complex world around them often culminates in amusing contrasts, as when one pair attempt a mating session in the middle of a march for women’s rights (the inevitable joke about consent from one activist writes itself). Erdogan’s poised for his 2017 reelection, and radio broadcasts capture bits and pieces of a society in constant flux, even as the dogs remain innocent bystanders. The roving camerawork takes on a “Slacker”-like quality as it provides a conduit to exploring various corners of Turkish society. While some of these snippets of life hold more appeal than others, the movie settles into a nice groove once it introduces a trio of protagonists: Kartal, stoic mutt who has a lot of local fans the somewhat more belligerent Zyetin and Nazar, who associates with a set of young Syrian refugees by the dock. Assembled out of footage shot across two years, “Stray” tracks a trio of dogs struggling through ambivalent passersby, the travails of dumpster diving, and the occasional frictions with their own kind. However, while Torun fixated on the carefree individualism of the feline spirit, “Stray” doubles down on the wandering nature of man’s best friend when it has nowhere to go, and how that experience merges with the experiences of migrant humans whose wayward journeys aren’t so different.īefore it gets into all that, the movie operates as a kind of neorealist variation on the nature documentary: An opening title card explains that Istanbul has made it illegal to euthanize stray dogs, but that doesn’t make their day-to-day routine all that easy. The most obvious precedent for Lo’s approach is “Kedi,” Ceyda Torun’s 2016 breakout hit about cats roaming the same city streets. 'The Covenant' Review: Guy Ritchie Gets SeriousĢ023 Tribeca Film Festival Lineup Includes 'Downtown Owl,' 'Fresh Kills' PremieresĢ023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Scripted Variety SeriesĢ2 Great Erotic Thrillers, from Adrian Lyne to Brian De Palma
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