A beautiful cop from the art department in Interpol learns that her ex, a billionaire, is the art-thieving man she’s been looking for (“Thomas Crowne Affair” much?). You can tell what her plan is to catch the guy, and the rest follows. For a movie titled Art of Love, there actually isn’t much love in it. The chemistry is lacking, the plot is more action-packed, and at the end of the day, nothing really adds up except the twist, which is as predictable as your mother’s answer to “What’s for dinner?” This Turkish action-romance film falls flat on every count, and the only thing that kept me interested was the lead actress and her outfits. I suppose it’s meant to give you the thrill of watching a Bond film, but it feels like a cheap street knock-off. I mean, sure, the film is “inspired,” but there isn’t really anything original about it. It’s a tale as old as time. Man messes with Woman’s heart. Man leaves; woman moves on to making her life perfect without him when he shows up and tries to sweep her off her feet again. So, why Art of Love? Well, the billionaire Güney is stealing paintings that are all about love. Sigh. Whatever adrenaline-fueled action film you’re looking for, this isn’t it.
I suppose if you’re looking for a “leave your brain behind” kind of film, this one will satisfy your needs. There are some pretty backdrops, nice outfits, and maybe one decent action sequence. The script as a whole, though, is completely senseless. If you do decide to take anything seriously, there’s a chance you’ll turn off your screen in about 5 minutes. When I talk about the Indian Kannada language film Sapata Sagaradaache Ello, I always talk about how, right at the start of the film, you somehow know that these two people have been in love for a really long time. Despite the film picking up from a later stage of their relationship, you can see that they’ve already fit with each other like perfect puzzle pieces. However, I can’t say the same about Art of Love, which tries desperately to make us believe that Alin and Güney used to be a couple. The series of events that follow after Alin realizes that it’s Güney who is the robber she’s looking for becomes even more disconcerting. If you’re only in it for the chase, I hate to disappoint you, but that’s also quite lackluster.
The other day, I reviewed a romantic film, which would be about a 2-2.5 star rating, and called it predictable. This is because there is a set of tropes that we rom-com fans are willing to give a free pass for. It’s pretty obvious what’s going to happen, and that’s alright because, at the end of the day, it doesn’t really ruin the plot; it just pushes it forward. In this film, the big plot reveal or major twist can be seen from miles away. It just leaves no room for entertainment when you know exactly how things are going to pan out because, at the end of the day, it’s meant to give you a “thrill.” But let me stop my rant there for a bit and speak about some positives. Esra Bilgiç as Alin is believable, and since she’s so stunning to look at and wears some fancy diamond jewelry throughout the film, it almost feels like watching one of those Cartier ads or something. Despite the lack of chemistry, I think she does a fine job otherwise for this role. Birkan Sokullu is just fine as a billionaire thief (not sure why this exists), and technically, most of what he has to do is walk quickly and disappear enigmatically from the screen. What I’m trying to say is that Esra Bilgiç deserved better in terms of everything. Even her hair is styled weirdly; what’s with the ends being turned out as if that’s the only part that got messed up by the wind? Odd choice, to say the least. At least, I won’t say the same about her clothing, which actually looks quite nice and compliments her appearance well. Though I’m not quite sure why she did that one scene in gym clothes. Alin has a partner who is essentially a prop. You could have him removed, and nobody would bat an eye. Güney’s team consists of two young and hot individuals, who are basically eye candy. I’m sorry; that’s just how it comes across. Oh, and I completely forgot, there is actually an antagonist, and, to say the least, there’s nothing menacing about him.
The score is James Bond-esque, as is the overall feel of the film; however, what’s really bothersome is that, every few minutes, there’s a fade to black to cut the scene. The editing room needed help, and the music did the same thing! Why are songs getting cut off abruptly and switching genres at random moments? The movie is already absurd with its choices of making it appear as if art is being stolen in broad daylight and nobody notices. Then there’s a scene where an Interpol officer brings out her gun in a public space, though she’s chasing after an art thief. I’m not sure this would be the best move to make. But what do I know?
I’m not going to lie; this film didn’t entertain me at all, and I was bored in about 15 minutes. If I wanted to see private jets and helicopter rides, I’d go for 50 Shades of Grey over this any day. I’m not quite sure if there was a conscious choice to make a film that is so unserious; if I didn’t know better, I may have assumed it’s a parody of some kind. But that would mean it was all on purpose, and I’d be giving the film too much credit. If you’ve got the time and are that bored, you could give this one the benefit of the doubt. Personally, I’d rather spend this time watching romance movies than anything that has to do with action, because frankly, this genre is really getting tired. So, should you put this one on your weekend watchlist? I’d say no. I’d give Art of Love 2 out of 5 stars.
