Festival favourite Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Uzak, Climates) won the Best Director award at Cannes this year for this tense and stunning family drama.
When an aspiring politician commits a ‘hit and run‘ car accident, he convinces his chauffeur to take the rap, in return for a lump sum upon his release from prison.
A spiral of betrayal, deception and (mostly) unseen violence ensues for the chauffeur, his wife and adolescent son – the proverbial monkeys of the title who choose to see, hear and speak no evil – overshadowed by a past event which haunts the gradually disintegrating family unit.
As always with Ceylan, who is also a celebrated photographer, the imagery is gorgeous, characterised by a sensitive use of light, washed out palette and his trademark silver-tipped clouds. A highly stylised soundtrack powerfully conveys the mounting sense of unease, memorably punctuated by a melodramatic Turkish pop song on a mobile ringtone, whose initial absurdity steadily becomes more sinister.
A treat for Ceylan fans and, for the uninitiated, a great introduction to a distinctive arthouse talent.
