Climates (2006)

3 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Weather or Not

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Distant) makes his acting debut, opposite his real-life wife Ebru Ceylan, in the meditative, moving Climates. As the title says, the film begins in sunshine, progresses through autumn and ends in a chilling winter snow. A university lecturer, Isa (Nuri Bilge Ceylan), and his partner, Bahar (Ebru Ceylan) who works as an art director in television, lay together on the beach. She dreams that he buries her in sand, and shortly thereafter, he recites a practiced break-up speech. "We can still be friends," he says. "There's no need," she replies, coldly. Ceylan then steps back and allows both partners to wallow, although he spells nothing out; the carefully composed exteriors are the only clue to the roiling emotions underneath. Ceylan's great tragedy is that, as the weather grows colder, so does the couple's ability to communicate. Needless to say, Climates is a film for audiences that don't require clear explanations and easy answers.