Head-On

Fatih Akin’s Head-On is a good romance whose performances are worth some overemphatic writing. Sibel Kekilli and Birol Ünel give it enough conviction to keep us interested when the emotional pressure becomes tiring. The director also writes, and his interest in Turkish identity in Germany gives the love story something substantial to consider beyond the couple’s attraction. We recommend it to anyone who likes a demanding romance, with the warning that its intensity can wear us down.

Sibel Kekilli, playing Sibel Güner, is the strongest reason to stay with it. We were moved by her performance: she makes the character’s feelings matter without asking us to approve of them. That matters in a romance which offers so little reassurance. Birol Ünel’s Cahit Tomruk is a substantial partner, and neither performance feels like an illustration of a point about cultural belonging. Their credibility makes the writing’s heavier passages easier to accept.

The interest in Turkish identity and cultural pride is welcome, particularly within a genre that can behave as though lovers have no obligations outside their relationship. Head-On takes belonging seriously, and we do not feel that these concerns have been added merely to lend importance to a romance. Its least persuasive moments come when the writing seems too eager to insist on what we should take from them. We would welcome a little more room to consider the people ourselves.

Rainer Klausmann’s cinematography deserves credit for how strongly we respond to the performances. Our attention stays with the people, which is where this film needs it. Tamo Kunz’s production design also helps the drama feel credible without becoming a separate attraction. We never feel invited to admire the surroundings and forget about the couple, a useful virtue in a romance so dependent on accepting the strength of somebody else’s feelings.

Andrew Bird’s editing keeps us engaged, although the accumulated intensity could use more relief. A quieter rhythm would sometimes let the acting do its work without making the film feel less serious. The music is credited to Bülent Ersoy, Alexander Hacke, Maceo Parker and Klaus Maeck, and its emotional directness suits the drama. We found it effective, but the film does not always need further encouragement to be forceful; the performers are already doing enough.

Our reservation is chiefly with Fatih Akin’s writing. Making an uncomfortable love story is a defensible choice, and some of its insistence is productive because it stops us treating passion as a sufficient excuse for everything. Elsewhere, the effort to keep feelings at full strength makes us less receptive to them. There are stretches when we remain interested in Sibel Güner and Cahit Tomruk but would welcome less pressure to register every feeling at once.

Head-On earns its place among romances for people who do not require much consolation from the genre. Its actors make the 122 minutes worthwhile, although we would hesitate to recommend it outside that audience. We would choose it with an appetite for difficult company and something to discuss afterwards. Save the comforting love story for another night.