Spoiler-free review on @russellcrowe's directorial debut, @WaterDivinerANZ

Russell Crowe’s directorial debut, The Water Diviner is all that one would expect from the first look featurette, trailers and clips we have seen through the last few months.. and even more!
It’s an epic tale of love and hope, a beautifully crafted story inspired by real life, and a breath-taking masterpiece that makes you forget where you are, or what time/day/year it is.. See, I had the amazing opportunity to watch the Water Diviner after meeting Russell Crowe (a dream-come-true) at the Istanbul premiere, but the movie made me forget all about it during the screening! I simply forgot that RC himself was sitting only a few rows behind me -along with Olga Kurylenko, Cem Yilmaz and Yilmaz Erdogan. Guess that tells how captivating the film really is.

Being Turkish, born and raised in Istanbul, and interested in history, particularly the Battle of Gallipoli, and being a big Russell Crowe fan (and a Cem Yilmaz fan, too!) naturally led my full attention on the Water Diviner from the moment RC mentioned his plans on this project. I kept an eye on all news and updates on the movie, have spent quite some time around the set during the filming in Istanbul, and watched all videos, clips, featurettes –all of which made it even more intriguing and exciting in many ways.

I remember watching the first look (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32X2PhMWNdU) and getting goosebumps, then tearing up with the trailers, especially with the one for Turkey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL2FiQg7Iu4), and being left in awe with the short clips from the movie (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMsb9fklV4o).
I must add that my expectations became higher and higher since I had so much faith in Russell Crowe who repeatedly underlined his perspective on the story, plus the cast and crew sounded truly solid, the kind of team that simply makes the viewer expect high-quality in each and every aspect.

Now that I’ve seen the movie (and I’ll certainly watch it again, a few times at the cinema, and Lord knows how many times more once the DVD is out), I’m more than happy to say that the Water Diviner exceeded my personal expectations, and definitely left its mark on the audience in Istanbul on December 5th, 2014. *goosebumps*

The story itself may sound rather simple to some, but in my opinion it’s a spectacular mix of reality and art. Hats off to Andrew Anastasios and Andrew Knight for their great work, the Water Diviner tells a magical tale and reminds us what wars do to people, to families.. and to our humanity.
I cannot imagine anyone who won’t be touched by this film, touched very deep inside, that is. Whoever that ever loved somebody or lost a beloved one –sibling, parent, child, significant other, or friend, you name it– may have their heart shattered during certain scenes of the Water Diviner, and I have to say that it felt extremely good to be able to watch it with my only sibling, my little brother, whose hand I might have bruised during the said scenes.

Apart from the story, the characters too felt so “real”, and the cast performances were nothing short of what one would expect from such brilliant names. Russell Crowe, as always, seemed to “live” the role, not “just act” it.. and I’m so very glad that Cem Yilmaz has been in such a special project. I was a bit surprised to see that the parts where Olga Kurylenko speaks Turkish were dubbed, but the dubbing was so successful that it thankfully did not affect her performance unfavorably. In an attempt to keep my review as short as possible, and choosing to comment on acting after I see the movie more than once, I won’t go into detail of each and every name. But.. I have to say that Ryan Corr’s performance was outstanding! He and James Fraser certainly nailed it, causing a flood of tears among the audience –during a certain scene of this duo, I could hear sniffles and see shoulders shaking among the audience.. and I’m not exaggerating one bit.

Speaking of the scenes that certainly leave a mark on the viewer, I’d like to say that certain scenes from the battle field were spectacular –both technically and artistically. The scenes are so “real” that they take you from your seat and put you on Lone Pine battlefield , feeling scared.. helpless.. angry.. and questioning what a war is.. and if it’s even worth it. And then, there is a specific scene which reflect how a war can make people lose their humanity and surface the ferocity of human nature. As my favorite scene from the epic Noah, the creation scene, reminded us all:
“Brother against brother. Nation against nation. Man against the creation. We murdered each other. We broke the world, we did this. Man did this.”

The fascinating art is not limited to battle scenes, though. Andrew Lesnie simply works miracles, turning the movie into a feast for the eyes –from the dust storm in Australia to the breath-taking views of Istanbul, the Water Diviner presents top-quality cinematography *thumbs up*

Before I wrap up my words on this beautiful piece of art, I’d like to mention two of the many special scenes which may well be extra-touching for the Turkish:
- The scene where Jemal (portrayed by Cem Yilmaz) raises a toast to Mustafa Kemal: During the screening, the audience responded to this by loud and clear applause, and it certainly will be an unforgettable moment for each Turkish citizen who even today keeps battling on to protect and improve M. Kemal Atatürk’s legacy.
- Another special part of the movie that I really loved is the old Turkish folk song Jemal sings –an old song called “hey fifteen year olds”, telling the story of 15 year old boys leaving home to join the battle of Gallipoli.

But then again, one does not have to be Turkish or an ANZAC descendant to be interested and touched by this film.. doesn’t need to be necessarily interested in history, either.
The Water Diviner offers something for everyone who carries a heart and soul.
It offers a beautiful yet heart-wrenching journey to all those that love the art of cinema.

The ending of the movie in Istanbul was just as spectacular as the film itself, the Water Diviner was rewarded standing ovation, and I believe this was not only because it’s a great movie, it was also a heart-felt “thank you” to the director for such an honest story which the Turkish audience isn’t used to seeing in foreign films about Turkey and its history.
The guests leaving the theater with red-rimmed eyes and smudged make-up was one of the signs of how the Water Diviner took the viewers to 1919 for almost two hours, and the comments and praise for the movie were so positive that I, as a Russell Crowe fan, felt incredibly happy and so very proud, and I have no doubt that it will be the star of the box-office at the end of this year.

Taken together, the Water Diviner tells a tale of love mingled with adventure, delivers a sea of emotions from grief to hope, and works the magic of cinema, reaching the viewers’ heart and mind in a way that crosses all barriers of language, different cultures, politics, and history.
“Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives,
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country, therefore rest in peace. There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side here in this country of ours… You, the mothers who sent their sons from far away countries to the war, wipe away your tears, your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well” –Mustafa Kemal ATATÜRK


(the Water Diviner (Turkish title: Son Umut, i.e. the Last Hope) opens on December 26th 2014 in Turkey, Australia and New Zealand.
Full list of release dates: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3007512/releaseinfo)


Mine G. (a.k.a. @TheGreatmagic on Twitter)

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