Jackson Booth-Millard As with many foreign films I probably would never have heard of this German-Turkish film if it wasn't featured in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, so that was for me the best reason to try it. Basically forty something Turkish German man Cahit Tomruk (Birol Ünel) has given up on life after his wife died and takes cocaine and drinks alcohol to get through everyday, and one night he attempts suicide driving his car head-on into a wall, but he barely survives the crash. He is taken to a psychiatric clinic where he meets another Turkish German, also suicidal Sibel Güner (Sibel Kekilli), and she asks him to carry out the most bizarre plan, she wants him to marry her, with no questions asked, so that she can break away from her strict conservative family, he is outraged by the idea. Eventually though Cahit agrees to the plan she explains she prefers a sex life independently, the have separate private lives but share a place as roommates, but as time goes by they do fall in love, but he kills a former lover of her's in anger and goes to prison. While he is locked away Sibel gets away from her family travelling to Istanbul to stay with Selma (Meltem Cumbul), her divorced hotel manager cousin, she accepts a job in the hotel, but finds her new life restrictive like prison, so she goes to live in the apartment of a bartender who gives her drugs and alcohol. The bartender rapes her and throws her out, and wandering the streets following this she antagonises three men to beat her up severely, continuing to urge them on to the point when one pulls a knife, and they run and leave her for dead. Several years pass, Cahit has been released and goes to Istanbul to find his wife, Selma initially refuses to tell him where she is, but she tells him she is in a long-term relationship and with a daughter, we do not see how she recovered from the rape and beating. Cahit waits for Sibel to call him, and they meet and make love, he wants her to run away with him to which she agrees, but packing she hears her husband and is delighted to see her daughter, so she never returns to Cahit, he travels on a bus somewhere, possibly to his birth city Mersin. Also starring Catrin Striebeck as Maren, Stefan Gebelhoff as Nico and Hermann Lause as Dr. Schiller. It is a recognisable story of a non romantic encounter with an odd circumstance, in this case a non- relationship based wedding, and slowly falling in love over time, but also there are distinctive moments that stand out, for me especially the very violent beating of the leading woman, and also drug taking and alcoholism, it is a most watchable romantic drama. Very good!

Ed Curley I personally thought the story telling on this movie had several different layers of interpretation, which I personally like. It was shown to me how deep the characters and story were written with much thought. I personally just don't come across that in many independent films. If the story is garbage, the movie is garbage, this is not the case in this film. One great example was when Sibel cut her hair, Sibel, a hairdresser, can not only cut her own hair, but it can be taken that she needs to do so to hide from her family, but also suggest the huge change in her character at that moment in the story. It was obvious, but it didn't pull away from the story, and the meaning wasn't served on a silver platter. This transition, I thought, was executed very well.When the viewer first meets Cahit, to me he is truly a beast. Shown visually in many different ways, some even humorous. And on the polar opposite, Sibel, the beauty, a young girl, who is able to use her youth and innocence to get what she wants. She is very much a child throughout the film, unaware of the consequences of her actions, and egocentric as well as needy, materialistic, and pretty. This movie is about them growing, and I don't think they could have changed unless they were in each others lives. However they meet in this world of dysfunction, and nothing about their relationship is healthy. This movie is not about becoming new people and getting a clean slate because of a relationship, this is not a Hollywood movie, where everyone finds a new meaning of love and enters the same relationship with a new hope that it will work this time around just because they have grown or matured or changed a behavior. Cahit and Sibel are very hurt and damaged people, and this movie suggests how hurt and damaged people enter and react to a new relationship. This movie is not about how people get damaged, but rather seeing how people live and deal when they are damaged. It does show the role of family of origin, tradition, society norms, but it does not place blame. For those who have been around self destructive people, I can only guess that you will find the characters' actions and reactions as realistic. The acting is superb in that sense. For example even Cahit's occupation choice promotes a realistic reaction to a damaged life. It was written, casted, acted, and captured with much thought and skill.Side note: I really enjoyed the scene of the interview process for the marriage. Notice the position of how Cahit and his uncle are trapped on that couch, being studied and seeking approval, and how they held onto those tiny small cups.

the_bichu After a long time i have this type of movie, which didn't made me bore. the actress Sibel Kekilli has done a great job and justice to her character.Although i had difficulty to watch this movie due to language as i have to read subtitles of English, but i am glad i understand and enjoyed the movie.May be no one agree with me but if the end would be a different then i would have rated this movie 10, understand sh sacrifices her love/husband for her baby but still there can be a different end. overall the movie was fabulous and i enjoyed it a lot.Sibel Kekilli really got a great face and cute expressions and body, looking forward to watch her more movies.I also loved the dancing in this movie. Everyone has done a good job and made a perfect movie.

Nuno Duarte Though translated as Head-On, Gegen die Wand actually means Into the Wall. Title that would be much more appropriate, as it sums up the whole story. Faith Akin was the master of all this, and understanding his life you can relate a lot of information with the movie, as he was born in Hamburg, son of a Turkish family. Anyway, Gegen die Wand starts with Cahit Tomruk (Birol Ünel), from forgotten Turkish descent. He lives a miserable life in a hole of an apartment in Hamburg. He even tries suiciding, crashing his car in a wall but he survives. While in therapy, he meets Sibel (Sibel Kekilli). At first, she challenges him to marry her, explaining that would let her get rid of her family and would not imply any sort of physical intercourse between them both. Obviously that doesn't happen, as in American romance, both fall in love with each other, but the beauty in this film is that it's much more complicated, taken to its extreme. The most interesting of this movie is observing the development of the characters, especially Cahit. Alltough both main characters come from therapy after attempting suicide, the main goal of the argument doesn't lie in warning for the beauty of life, its importance and how stupid it would be to end it, stuff like that. No. Breathtaking drama with two very good performances. Fine selection. 7/10