The film starts with Müjdat and Yilmaz stealing a car for their friend Ayhan. The former ones work as a mechanic and own a garage while Ayhan has a real estate shop. The car they were stealing belonged to an old man (Mr. Vamik) who used to park it daily in front of Ayhan’s shop. While the men were doing the job they were assigned, this old man came out of nowhere and collapsed in front of the car. Müjdat and Yilmaz put him in the trunk and carried him to their garage. At this point, both the characters and the audience have the same question that is why did they carry him with them? Nevertheless, I liked the background music that was playing during these scenes as it made me believe that this film is going to be funny.
After thinking of multiple ways to dispose of the body of Mr. Vamik, it is shifted into the turpentine tank. When Yilmaz goes to paint a (whose mixture had been prepared by Müjdat using turpentine) car, it turns out to be very attractive. Ayhan being the man he was, became greedy and wanted to capitalize on it, but Yilmaz was still guilty of that old man so he denied it. There’s a girl Aynur whom Yilmaz likes a lot. She can often be seen coming to their repair shop with various issues even if her car is in good condition. The plan Ayhan came up with later, no one would have been able to guess that.
In my opinion, The Fix-It-Man has a great flow. The makers knew very well the tone that has to be kept to narrate the story appropriately. I do however have to say that after half an hour, things became very slow and it took time for the film to gain momentum. The movie is 112 minutes long and the moments which make it interesting are the ones in which the friends were seen casually sitting around and talking to each other. Also, the plot of The Fix-It-Man seems more like a daily journal of Müjdat, Yilman, and Ayhan initially as there wasn’t much happening.
In the end, the viewers realize what was unfolding in the background. If the readers are thinking that the things revealed in the end made the story a bit interesting then they’re only partially right. If you are planning on watching this movie then, make sure that you like slow films, the ones in which nothing much happens, and the cast is sitting around talking to each other. How Yilmaz is seen often throwing Müjdat and Ayhan out of place, be it the garage or the car in the middle of the night, seems very funny.
There’s a particular scene in the film in which Müjdat and Ayhan are seen sitting together and having beers. When Yilman comes, he scolds them and asks them to get back to their senses. To this thing, Müjdat replies by washing his face with beer. I liked the idea of using dead bodies to paint the cars. Though it was an accidental discovery, the way it was capitalized with the right intentions made me believe in the saying “Everything is fair in love and war” again.
Nejat Isler, Riza Kocaoglu, and Merve Dizdar are seen playing the lead roles in this film directed by Erkan Kolçak Köstendil and written by Bülent Sakrak. They’ve all done a fair job making the film an average watch. For those who want to watch something light yet with a little element of humor, The Fix-It-Man could be the film for you, but please don’t start watching it with many expectations.
Final Score – [6/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
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Publisher at Midgard Times