The monotonous life of Selim,a shirt store owner changes when he finds a suitcase full of American dollars in a taxi.
A Run for Money (Turkish: Kaç Para Kaç) is a 1999 Turkish film directed by Reha Erdem. It was Turkey’s submission to the 73rd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.
The film is a modern-day parable and the thematic target “money” has been under the lash for the story of an upright man’s life turns upside down after he inadvertently acquires a bag of windfall. Enjoyably the film follows a strictly engaging narrative, chronically recounts the cause and effect of the psychological swings which is slowly but deadly eroding one’s normal life and dramatically impairing one’s moral conscience. Although there is an obvious moralizing route going on throughout, the building-up of the tension has been relentlessly effective, a three-way chasing in the ferry is complacently done.
Leading man Taner Birsel has a wooden appearance at first, but his bookish image has managed to be a perfect template of the story, all in all, his average-joe rendition is more convincing and edifying. Zuhal Gencer, stars as the lonely-temptress-next-the-door, but in a very derogatory manner, who is not only ridiculous but miserable as well. When the final repercussions suddenly swoop in out of nowhere, it feels like a “wonderful surprise”, as a dooming coda cannot be evaded, what about a wholesome breakdown? It may be the perfect outlet after a series of lies which cannot be amended.
Anyway, the film is a delightful and hold-it-together triumph despite of its slightly orthodox notion, it’s a tough call to assess the values of “money is the worst of all evils”, since the double-edged theory is dominating our mainstream societies now, A RUN FOR MONEY could be a bold criticizer, and what’s more important is its ripple effect may at least give some remedy to some radical money-seekers.
A Run for Money – Kaç Para Kaç (1999)
Directed by: Reha Erdem
Starring: Taner Birsel, Bennu Yıldırımlar, Zuhal Gencer, Engin Alkan, Sermet Yeşil, Bülent Emin Yarar, Ara Güler
Screenplay by: Reha Erdem
Production Design by: Ömer Atay
Cinematography by: Florent Herry, Jean-Louis Vialard
Film Editing by: Nathalie LeGuay
Costume Design by: Ömer Atay, Esra Sert
Art Direction by: Ömer Atay
Music by: Dave Henley, Justin Langlands
Distributed by: Atlantik Film
Release Date: December 17, 1999
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