Though its photography is keen and vibrant and its concept elegantly simple, the movie doesn’t quite add up beyond its performances.
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08/19/06
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Crossing The Bridge: The Sound Of Istanbul
86
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:35
Fresh:30
Rotten:5
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: Infused with cultural and political concerns, this film weaves together a rich tapestry of musical styles that celebrate the diversity that makes up contemporary Turkish life.
Theatrical Release:Jun 9, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: A European musician and composer sets out to capture the musical diversity of Istanbul. A lover of experimenting with sound, Alexander Hacke (of the German avantgarde band Einstürzende Neubauten)... [More]
Director: Fatih Akin
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Reviews for Crossing The Bridge: The Sound Of Istanbul
Crossing The Bridge was shot with an eye toward the kinetic, and cut with an impatience that shortchanges some of the artists, but keeps the rhythm lively.
06/07/06
With the keynote being diversity, this documentary arguably favours breadth over depth; but it's still an eye-opening portrait, capturing several fine musical performances.
02/14/06
The multi-subject approach dilutes the impact of the film.
05/18/05
A comprehensive look at the wide variety of sounds in Turkey.
06/05/06
Even as Crossing the Bridge acknowledges differences, tensions, the provocative power music exerts on our hearts, it makes an elegant, head-bopping, hip-swaying argument that sound unifies.
08/04/06
Though not nearly as exhilarating or illuminating as Buena Vista Social Club, this structurelss docu does capture the unique variety of sounds of Istanbul, a city strategically positied between East and West.
08/02/06
It opens the audience's ears to the diversity and vitality of Istanbul's music scene but, as a documentary, it lacks the mainstream appeal of Buena Vista Social Club.
04/01/06
Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul emphasizes the unique geography of the city to explain its eclectic music scene, and a generous sampling of performances clinches the argument.
06/07/06
Top CriticThe musical documentary version of Turkish delight.
11/17/05
... an exciting introduction to a worthy musical world.
06/15/06
If the music fails to hold your interest, there's always Madonna.
06/08/06
An enjoyable if occasionally maddening primer on the sound of today's Istanbul, a whirling dervish of a sonic tour with Einstuerzende Neubauten guitarist Alexander Hacke as your guide.
06/02/06
Top CriticOnly when the multicultural conceit of vastly different musical traditions blending to produce a transcendent sound is muted does the film finally jell.
05/17/05
A rambling feast of under-the-radar musical styles and personalities, including actor/singer Orhan Gencebay and influential Turkish rock-pop figure Erkin Koray.
06/02/06
The music is gorgeous, and Akin’s feverish camera shows an exile’s love of the beautiful, crumbling but energized city as he pokes around its crevices, looking for recombinations of old and new, here and there.
08/17/06
A delightful survey of Turkish music's many intriguing variations, as well as a fascinating, if somewhat superficial, portrait of one of the most historic cities on Earth.
08/18/06
Crossing the Bridge does more than offer a wide variety of entertaining and intoxicating Turkish music. It also uses music to paint a portrait of a vibrant, cosmopolitan city and provide a window into a rich and varied national culture.
08/18/06
Top CriticClick to read the article
11/11/06
It is our good fortune that Akin and his on-screen narrator, bass player Alexander Hacke, are our passionate guides through the country's musical history.
06/09/06
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