Oh Belinda follows Dilara, an actress who agrees to shoot a shampoo commercial, only to find herself transported into her character’s world midway through the shoot.
Story
Dilara Başaran gets an ad commerical and even though she doesn’t like what this job entails in terms of the content, she picks it up when she hears it pays well.
During the shoot, she suddenly finds herself transported into her character’s world, where everyone calls her Handan.
Dilara freaks out trying to escape her new life as a wife and a mother of two. Dodging Handan’s husband and trying to meet her friends who don’t recognize her anymore, Dilara tries her best to leave this world.
However, when everything fails, she tries to emrbace it and play her part until she finds her way back to her real world, before Oh Belinda rolls the credits.
Performances
Neslihan Atagül leads the cast with the best performance on display. With her explosive charm, Neslihan brings a frenetic pace to Dilara as well as Handan.
Necip Memili plays Necati with his usual panache and strikes perfectly the balance between a straight man who’s aloof and rather loving, and a borderline predator who’s a product of patriarchy.
The supporting cast does an adequate job but there’s definitely a noticeable lack of an impact performance other than those of the leads.
Positives
Oh Belinda contends with feminist issues that are resonant even in today’s society, and it does with a modern flair. There’s also class commentary with Dilara and Handan at its center that feels very timely.
The film has its moments where the frenetic nature of its protagonist brings out an undeniably fun energy, especially evident during the opening and in moments where Dilara whips out her acting chops.
Negatives
The production of Oh Belinda can come off as quite a standard affair and from the lighting to the editing, the combination of all these elements make for a stale experience, which is a real shame considering the important issues the film takes on.
There’s little here that inspires significant fun or thrill, as the central concept wears out its novelty rather quickly due to the pace and before themes and characters can properly develop.
Verdict
Oh Belinda fails to recreate the impact its original had on Turkish cinema as well as films in general. A great lead performance and a few moments here and there aside, the film doesn’t deliver on the themes that are just as relevant as they were in the 80s.
Also Read: Oh Belinda ending explained: How does Dilara return to the real world?