Steam: The Turkish Bath (1997)

Purely Joyful Movie!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

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.

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.

When I rented the tape ‘Hamam, the Turkish Bath' at my local video store, I had wrong expectations of what the movie would be about. And while I might agree with all those comments saying that the movie is subtle and that there is just little ‘action' going on (well, there is only action at the very end of the movie), it's just the kind of movie you'll leave the cinema and tell your friends: ‘Oh, I've got to think about it. But it's lovely photographed!'. In other words: You're totally confused and not sure at all whether you didn't get the story because there wasn't one or you just…,well, didn't ‘get it'. It's up to you. But let me add just one thing: If you're out to see a romantic GAY movie with an ending that encourages you to live your gay life instead of getting married, you better see MAURICE. Otherwise ‘Hamam' is exactly the movie you ought to see.My rating for that movie: 4 of 10

Hamam: The Turkish Bath is a beautifully acted film, and a film the the director should be proud of for a first time film. Francesca d'Aloja is an incredibly talented actress, and this film should lead to better parts for her. This film is beautifully shot, and the only weakness is the story, which is a little simple. Overall though, despite the subtitles (at least it's better than dubbing), it is a magnificent film.