Arguably Nuri Bilge Ceylan's masterpiece, Winter Sleep is the story of Aydin (Haluk Bilginer), a former actor who has retired to a remote region of Turkey, dedicating time to operating a small hotel, writing a book, and managing properties inherited from his father. Compassionate by nature, he finds himself troubled by his difficulty relating to his family, friends and tenants, causing him to reevaluate his interpersonal relationships. While the visuals are often stunning, the film's success rests in its thought-provoking dialogue and the performances of its actors, most notably Bilginer in the lead role. Clocking in at well over three hours, it does require some patience but will hold the interest of the attentive viewer.

The film tells the cross-sectional story of a group of people who have essentially a deep insight into their own shortcomings and unconscious, but who are nevertheless arrogant enough to point fingers at the unconscious minds of others rather than confront themselves with theirs. Throughout the film, we are constantly bombarded with the hopes of confronting the unconscious, expecting to be awakened from this "winter sleep" with each tirade, but ultimately all the characters decide and manage to avoid it and "keep sleeping" by taking the way that provides short-term comfort to them. In order to make sense of all this escape, the characters also try to prove the righteousness of their escape and the importance of their existence in a world, which doesn't really care about them. They also do it, by painting it with "honorable and right behavior". Necla tries to be visible in the eyes of her ex-husband and even considers turning her other cheek, Nihal creates a community and offers a fortune to help the imam's family, which, by the way, was neither requested nor accepted, and Aydin, unlike other theater actors who sold their dignity, managed to remain loyal to the theater for 25 years, is almost disgustingly humble to be an anonymous contributor in charity donations and also again humble enough to be satisfied by his audience in a small local newspaper -where he also reveals his wish to be someone important by saying that he can easily be "the king" there. Ultimately, this movie shows how we put ourselves and our reality into "winter sleep" to avoid discomfort. At its very core, it is a quest for self-fulfillment, separation, and self-affirmation that is doomed to fail.

good slow movie reminds me someone who i love.

Absolutely brilliant! Subtle interpretation of Russian classical literature

Remote hotel in Turkey, the owner's much younger wife is dissatisfied, his divorced sister picks fights and he has tenants that are way behind on payments. For 3 hours, it's convincing but not riveting.

The novel that turned into a film. As if you feel like you are in the novel when you watch

Ceylan's film is a film about the inherently destructive aspects of 'pride', tired old traditions, antiquated thinking, dishonesty (or at least being intentionally disingenuous), and letting your bitterness and resentment fester until it eats away too much of you and leaves you at odds with those closest to you, if not everyone. It's a film on the extreme difficulties of honest, direct communication. How far too often attempts at mature, important discussions become a pissing contest of petty psychological attacks, feigning offense or hurt feelings, bringing up the worst of the past, etc. This is made clear, but then Ceylan rather beats us over the head with it with too many examples of such conversations. Yes, Aydin is a jerk. Necla is foolish for blaming herself for her ex's weakness and alcoholism. Ismail is a fool, period. Hamdi is too much of a nice guy whipping boy. Nihal is naive, but well-meaning. Still, too talkative for my taste. 3.6 stars

Slow-paced and detailed, amazing character development, painful to watch.

Winter Sleep won the Palme D'or at Cannes Film Festival in 2014. That is an impressive achievement, something that was accomplished by Tarantino's Pulp Fiction in 1994. It is the highest honor at the Cannes Film Festival. However, watching the over-3-hour picture proves to be at least somewhat of a chore. If the conversations in the film were not so enticing, Winter Sleep would feel like it is longer than 5 hours. Winter Sleep is a very simple movie and a great drama at that, but audiences will not take too kindly to its length. Winter Sleep is comparable to Richard Linklater meeting The Green Mile: there is a lot of philosophical/ethical conversation going on the film which links back to Linklater, but it has the length of a slow drama such as The Green Mile. Though most of the scenes in this movie could be cut down significantly in length yet still have the same effect, every conversational scene in Winter Sleep plays out as if the entire conversation is portrayed. Most of the conversations in this movie involve the protagonist, Aydin, and the editing style of this movie makes you feel like you are truly a part of each conversation and not just observing each one from afar. That being said, this movie plays out like a long stage play, so it is definitely not for everyone, especially audience members that go to the movies for a sense of excitement. If you want to connect to characters, then you will probably enjoy this flick, but forget it if you are expecting any action whatsoever. The main character Aydin is an interesting character to study. He is quite unlikable for a few different reasons. The first thing revealed about him in the movie is that he is a landlord, and like any landlord he butts heads with his tenants. On top of that, he is an arrogant writer who tends to look down on almost everybody around him, and he cannot accept criticism that well, even from his beloved sister. He can also prove to be quite indifferent to other people: he barely shows any emotion when informing one of his tenants that he owes 100 more liras than he had led him to believe for a replacement window for his friend's car. One of the most interesting aspects of the movie is Aydin's failing relationship with his much younger wife, Nihal. One of the best sequences of the film is when Aydin and Nihal have a petty argument about whether Aydin should even be allowed in his house while Nihal is hosting a fundraiser meeting for the organization she is a part of. This leads to Aydin to verbally attack her several scenes later when he realizes his wife has no idea what she is doing in terms of bookkeeping for the funds raised. This may not sound too interesting, but the way it plays out in the film makes it intriguing to follow the conversation and see where and what it will lead to. Winter Sleep is a great character study that could probably shave off at least 20 minutes of its duration and maintain the same effect on audiences. This is a movie to make you think rather than to excite you, and if you like philosophical discussion then you will love Winter Sleep. It is definitely not a movie for everyone, but those who appreciate slow dramas and good character development will praise this as a great film. 8/10

An aesthetically rich movie and a Bergman-esque triumph in content, revealing a multi-dimensional interpersonal dynamism through complex (but sincere) dialogues and awkward (but believable) situations.

Highly overrated drama. From the middle on it becomes boring with a drag that leaves you emotionally neutral.

Intense acting and character themes. Long film...but the right pace and content

"Winter Sleep" is 196 minutes long, and it felt like 195, and that is because I did not watch all the closing credits. What I mean is that is long, and if feels long to. On top of that, if just like me your turkish is not great, you will have a lot of reading to do. I know that so far I am not giving you too many reasons to watch it, but this is my point: it is not an easy movie, but despite all this, is a very good work. It felt like a tragic novel (maybe because all the reading I had to do) about men and their inner solitude. You have to be in the right mood to watch it, but if after 30' you are involved, keep going because it does pays off. A character study,and the character in question is the human being, with its pride and its morals. I had to watch it in 2 takes, but was well worth it.

true people ve true story; wonderful scenes

This is a mesmerizing film from Turkey and the expectations were sky high since this won the prestigious Palm d'or in Cannes. Plot follows a family caretaker of a hotel- this film features amazing cinematography and performances. The plot is basic but the flow of dialogues keeps you intrigued. This film should be watched by any cinephile. (This Turkish delight you don't wanna miss)

So so good... The script feels a bit undercooked in some instances, but the acting and directing more than make up for it. Watching most scenes with the three main characters feels electric.

The quality of production, the set, the acting is all top notch but it's just not that entertaining. I watched it over 6 days, a bit like a soap opera as I knew I couldn't stomach this in larger chunks. I mean, it really is very good on so many levels but it really is very dull.

4/5 Ratings for Winter Sleep F: 88% R: 12% Drama Movie

Good movie, but way too long. The movie felt like it was just a bunch of philosophical arguments on repeat for 3 hours. The ending also made me uncomfortable. It seemed like the villain got their way and it was not a happy ending. But, the writing, direction, and acting was great.

Winter Sleep feels very much like an epic novel, mirroring the pacing and themes of Chekov, whose work was its inspiration. An impeccably acted morality tale of a wealthy man who sins by omission.