Dave Van de Velde

0/10

**A closeted Antwerp man's juggling of his tradition-minded Turkish family's expectations and a best friend-turned-boyfriend propel "Mixed Kebab." Belgian writer-helmer Guy Lee Thys' film recalls "My Beautiful Laundrette" in its busy agenda of seriocomic culture-clashing issues, even if the authorial wit here isn't quite as sharp. Risking over-contrivance at times, the whole is nonetheless crowd-pleasing stuff that stands to do particularly well at gay fests, where it should pick up steam toward healthy offshore home-format and possible limited theatrical sales.** Starting things off a little too on-the-nose, the pic's protag (Cem Akkanat) introduces himself via voiceover: "I'm Ibrahim, I'm Turkish. I'm Bram, I'm Belgian. I am a Muslim … and I'm gay." Fortunately, things get less glib fast as we learn more about his world. He's smitten with blond, blue-eyed Kevin (Simon Van Buyten), who works at a cafe run by his open-minded mother, Marina (Karlijn Sileghem). Though normally a slick pickup artist, Bram (who deals cocaine as a sideline to his job with an upscale caterer) is unsure of Kevin's sexual leanings. At home, however, Bram is Ibrahim, exemplary eldest son to emigre parents (Ergun Simsek, Tanja Cnaepkens) proud to have resisted liberal Western ways more firmly than many back home in Turkey. The thorn in their side is Ibrahim's younger sib, Furkan (Lukas De Wolf), an angry teen who's turning into a little thug, skipping school and committing robberies with equally rudderless pals. Wise to his brother's hidden life, Furkan outs Ibrahim to take the heat off himself, but the family simply doesn't believe him. That leaves Bram free to invite Kevin along when he goes to Turkey -- a trip intended to confirm his arranged-marriage plans with educated cousin Elif (Gamze Tazim), though that becomes a mere obligatory aside to the two men's joyful consummation of mutual attraction. Their cavorting doesn't go unnoticed, or unphotographed, by a hotel porter (Hakan Gurkan) whom not-so-chaste Elif has been fooling around with. Presented with evidence, she proves too hellbent on moving West to be swayed from Plan A. But those photos will wreak havoc yet. Mix of comedy, romance, intrigue and religious/cultural tensions is smoothly handled for the most part, even if the pic's increasing seriousness feels a little lopsided, particularly when a late instance of turnabout violence prompts all-around reconciliations a mite too conveniently. Nonetheless, "Mixed Kebab" enjoyably balances numerous themes and plot strands with brisk skill, presenting the gay relationship in an upfront manner without ever turning into a solely niche-aud-focused item. Ensemble cast, location choices, and tech/design contributions are all lively and spot-on.

noathings

3/10

Spoilers

I was expecting a bittersweet romance between Bram and Kevin, all I got was a cheap action drama wannabe of a film. A young man who goes by his Turkish name Ibrahim and occasionally the Belgian version of it as well, i.e. Bram, is still chained to the traditional values of his parents, even though his parents are westernized and fully integrated in society. Bram however, loves men and has been keeping his profile low, while dating Kevin. He meets difficulties as his parents decide to marry him off to a girl from Turkey, because they are pressured by the Turkish community who are beginning to suspect something about Ibrahim… In my honest opinion, I think the storytelling could use the concept of "Less is more" introduced by the minimalist architect Mies. The plot contains a lot of distracting elements which I believe would be more beneficial for the film without. The fact that a lad from a conservative Turkish Muslim family is confronted with his homosexuality in front of his parents is a theme that offers plenty of depths to explore. The director missed the opportunity to portray the conflicting situations that arise for Ibrahim. Would he rather choose his liberty but be torn away from his family instead? Is he able to live with Kevin while having such a drastically different background? What about his brothers and sisters? I can't imagine nobody would even support him, given the fact that they should be more open minded. How will Ibrahim react to the community's decision to ignore his family; how will he react knowing he is the cause of their social destruction and alienation? The film shows us the criminal side of an immigrant minority, depicts drugs use and Muslim extremism. Furkan, the younger brother of Ibrahim, is really but a troubled teenager. Although I still don't know why that is. He seems to be coming from a fairly loving family. Anyway, Furkan will serve as the deus ex machine for the end of the story. Naïve as he is, he is easily convinced into joining an obscure religious group. They brainwash him and turn him from the rebel that he was to a radical Muslim (ergo, being told that homosexuality is a sin, that he must kill the unbelievable who is "infecting" his brother). In the end, he would be saved by his brother, while being chased and stabbed by a group of criminals. As a result, this heroic act of Ibrahim will be the reconciliation between the father and Ibrahim, who had been scolded and abandoned by him. Overall the cinematography was nice, even though they should have showcased Turkey's breathtaking panoramas. Just because. I also liked the fun montage at the beginning of the movie. It gives us a light and fluffy introduction which actually makes a huge contrast with the general theme of the film. I also liked the montage of the café scene, when close ups show the ambiance of a Turkish café matched with rhythmic music. Awards Most messed up scene: Furkans dream of slaughtering Kevin Best phrase of the movie: "Do you think I'm scared of you?! I f*ck big guys like you in the ass!" Best failed what is supposed to be a tragic scene: Furkan getting rescued by Ibrahim, while he was on a mission to kill his boyfriend. You couldn't even feel the guilt that Furkan's was supposed to be showing.