Review by Bob Ignizio
This review is going to get a little bit conceptual, so
stick with me, okay? Okay.
There's a production company called The Asylum. You may know
them from their inexplicably popular series of intentionally bad SHARKNADO films, and other equally
silly creature features. Before they hit on that winning formula, though, the
company specialized in "mockbusters". Essentially, low budget
knock-offs of Hollywood films timed to hit video store shelves just as their
mainstream counterparts showed up in theaters. Examples include TRANSMORPHERS, ALIEN VS. HUNTER, and THE
DAVINCI TREASURE.
Now imagine, if you will, that someone decided to do a
mockbuster version of THE ENGLISH
PATIENT or some similar example of period costumed Oscar bait. Actually you
don't have to imagine. You could just watch THE OTTOMAN LIEUTENANT. Although, to be honest, I don't recommend
that course of action.
The plot of the film revolves around a plucky young nurse
named Lillie (Hera Hilmar ). She's concerned with social justice but living in
a world where a bleeding man is turned away from her hospital because of his
skin color, and where she herself is valued only for her prospects as a wife
and mother. Undaunted by the disapproval of her parents and society in general,
Lillie sets off to do good in exotic Istanbul. There, she meets dashing Turkish
military officer Ismaill (Michiel Huisman), who helps her navigate the culture.
Despite their differences, the two fall in love against the backdrop of World
War I. Ben Kingsley and Josh Hartnett turn up in supporting roles.
Now THE OTTOMAN
LIEUTENANT isn't nearly as cheap or cheesy as the Asylum mockbusters I
compared it with. It's obvious the budget wasn't huge, but technically the film
is sound. And while the cast may not be "A" listers, the leads are
all skilled thespians that most moviegoers will be familiar with. But that just
isn't enough to compensate for a script this rote and generic.
Director Joseph Ruben is best known for thrillers such as THE STEPFATHER, SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, and THE
GOOD SON. In movies like those, directorial style and knowing how to
effectively build suspense can make up for a less than stellar script. That's
not going to work in this sort of epic adventure romance, though. This is a
plot and character driven film, and the plot and characters are too familiar
and bland to warrant much interest.
The preceding criticisms aside, if you're burnt out by the
endless stream of special effects heavy Hollywood spectaculars, you might still
find THE OTTOMAN LIEUTENANT a
refreshing change of pace. Cleveland's own Minister of Culture, Michael Heaton,
did. And while my experience with the film was far less enthusiastic than his,
I really can't argue with anything he writes in his more positive review of thefilm. Personally, though, I'd rather watch TRANSMORPHERS.
2 out of 4 stars.
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