thesar-2 I've dealt with clients that are Turkish, and though I have little knowledge on their way of life, it was interesting to see them portrayed: their kindness, generosity and hospitality. It might not speak for them all, but it was still pleasant to see something beyond my little exposure. Unfortunately, my interest stopped there in 'Steam: the Turkish Bath.' It might have perked a bit if it had better lighting. I haven't seen this dark of a film since any Tim Burton movie, and at least he did it on purpose. Perhaps, the gay aspect is new/controversial to the Turks, so maybe the movie should be applauded for setting, uh, out of the norm. But, it's all been done/seen before in countless other American/Asian, well, every group. And I get the fact it's about two cultures and learning/leaning on each other, but the lack of some of the subtitles for those who don't speak either Italian/Turkish was annoying. The plot was simple enough to follow the action (or lack thereof) by their emotions/motions. But, it would've been kind to know what was said. We get confusing opening where you have to put pieces to get who's who/where/what they do, but after awhile it slows down to a married Italian man who travels to Turkey following his Aunt's death and his strange desire to continue her hamam or bathhouse which was already going out of style before her death. Here he gets an awaking in his life he wasn't aware of back with his wife and life in Italy. He also finds a different kind of love, that was predictable from the get go. An odd twist in the closing doesn't save the movie. BTW, if you're looking for nudity due to the title, look elsewhere. This could've been rated G.

consult2 This was a melodramatic and overly-romanticized look at traditions; both benign (the hamam itself) to the malignant (mutilating a child's' genitals). Other than the presentation of these traditions, we are left with little.The mood presented was consistent, but the characterizations were predictable..and frankly so was the story line.Perhaps the characters would have been more believable had they developed them better and provided a longer history for each--this would have given more plausible reasons for the actions and choices of the characters.There are many more films more worthy of watching.

Juha Varto Francesco and Marta are an Italian pair. They fight constantly, are unfaithful to each other, and take the other as a rival. But they are a married couple like Pope wants it. Both yearn for a change. An aunt dies and leaves a fortune but it is in Turkey. Francesco leaves for Istanbul. He finds a different kind of life, men who are more sensitive and able to listen each other, to share experiences, and eager to listen. He finds Mehmet, in years younger but humanly more mature. Mehmet's family and friends open Francesco's eyes to a world more friendly, more meaningful and full of tasks better scaled for a man. He also finds out that man and woman may live together but without family are doomed to be unhappy: they eat each other out. He falls in love with Mehmet. Marta follows to Istanbul and finds out the change. Her pride and her title to marriage are hurt but she also feels certain freedom. Francesco dies later and Marta understands her aunt's letters: as a free woman in Turkey she needs no men to be paired with. Men and women are citizens of same planet but their life are only parallel to each other, not together.

fabulozo Another marvellous movie from the director of "Finestra di Fronte" (Facing Window)2003, "Le Fate Ignorante" (Ignorent Fairies)2001 and "Harem Suare" 1999. Ferzan Ozpetek, a Turkish film director who has the ability to gather very different point of views at a time. Also in this movie, showing how beautiful and bad life can be, and how we lose the "whole" among the details. A confusing adventure for the young italian man who discovers love for the second time and the Turkish bath "Hamam" at the suburbs of Istanbul.