Directed by Can Sagir, and written by Erdeniz Tunç, A young boy with anger issues and his older brother find their seemingly peaceful nightly routine shattered when masked intruders break into their home – but nothing is as it seems. Starring: Ahmet Atakul, Aziz Efe Güven, Oğuzhan Altın, Fatih Tokatlıoğlu and Fatih Çoşkun.
It’s very clear that addressing anger issues with young boys is a vital issue of today, trying to resolve the problem at an earlier age to prevent violence in their later life. Erdeniz Tunç approaches the topic with Minor Anger Issues in a familiar way but with his own spin on it. Creating what could either be seen as a genre blend or a metaphor, to capture the impact of so much anger and confusion being suppressed. It’s an interesting way to interpret such a relevant issue, but it does feel as though it’s left a little too open to interpretation. It’s not quite clear if the film is going more for shock, or trying to leave you thinking about the dark possibilities of unchecked anger and rage.
For the majority of Minor Anger Issues, with Can Sagir’s directorial style, it feels like they’re going for the latter. There’s a simplicity and singular focus, as well as a stillness that holds the film in a more earnest space. Within the middle section of the film, it does feel like it’s letting the scene run longer than it needed to, time that could have perhaps been used to flesh out the ending a touch more. It makes its point very quickly, so the result is that it slows the film down more than it needed to, and hinders the sharpness they’re looking for from the ending. The score also feels somewhat overwhelming, it’s sitting atop the scenes heavily.
Surprisingly, even with the minimal dialogue and Aziz Efe Güven’s very young age and the fairly heavy topic, he does a great job. He communicates the conflict well, and there’s a great quality to the way he portrays the character, to leave him somewhat undefined, while giving him a kind edge. It captures nicely how children are often more observant than they’re given credit for and notice when things with adults aren’t quite right. The rest of the cast all give understated performances which feels like the right way to go, and let the film keep a certain quietness, rather than falling into something overtly dramatic.
Minor Anger Issues takes on a poignant issue of today’s society in a way that reflects the dangerous possibilities but also the youth of its lead. Erdeniz Tunç adds a different spin to the typical exploration of this issue. Aziz Efe Güven leads the film with an unexpectedly quiet yet thoughtfully inscrutable performance. The direction has a good focus, Can Sagir also supports his direction with his editing work to add more movement. It doesn’t feel like the concept was fully fleshed out ultimately but it’s a really solid effort.
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