While thinking of a good film noir, what do viewers really expect? Some dark humor, a gritty storyline, some great anti-heroes, and one smashing protagonist. The Turkish movie “10 Days of a Good Man” delivers on all of these aspects with ease. The 2-hour-long movie dives deep into the life of Sadik, an ex-lawyer who is now working as a private investigator. His life is simple and straightforward. However, it all threatens to unravel quickly at the expense of one complicated case that he takes up. As the title of the movie suggests, it follows the ten days of Sadik’s life, where he is a good man and does everything right. With time and the events that follow, we see him take a different approach and adopt a new perspective on things.
Based on the eponymous novel, the movie is directed by Uluç Bayraktar. Turkish actor Nejat Isler spearheads the movie as the titular good man. The story consists of dark twists and turns that keep you hooked and wanting more. The film has interesting characters, to say the least. Everyone has their own deceitful means to con people out of money and get the upper hand. Full of lies, debauchery, and cheating, the movie overarches a missing person’s case that gets a little out of control. Moreover, not only one but three different people are looking for the said missing person, and all of them for varying reasons. In a span of ten days, we see Sadik’s life unravel along with the intriguing case.
Spoilers Ahead
Sadik
When we imagine a typical private investigator, we see him being all mysterious and secretive about his thoughts while wearing a dark trench coat and a thick beard to blend in with the surroundings. That’s exactly how Sadik appears from the get-go. As we go deeper into the story, we see him as a fun and cheery guy who likes helping people. He revels in his smart and endearing attitude. Sadik looks as harmless as a random guy walking down the street. But he has various tricks and means up his sleeve to get him out of any situation safely. His law background helps him think logically and find a solution to every possible problem out there. Moreover, he constantly talks out loud to sort out his thoughts and remain calm. His favorite movie, featuring Elliot Gould, often acts as his guiding star.
Above everything, he does not act sparingly with his capabilities and rather seeks to helps everyone who needs his help. From a friendly neighbor to a random daughter of a client, he looks out for everyone and ensures that the innocents are safe and the crooked punished. With one recurring dream and vision, Sadik only wishes to move to a distinct tropical island, away from crime and criminals, with his beloved. At first, he sees his ex-wife, Rezzan, in those dreams. However, as the story progresses, we learn how Sadik was ruthlessly betrayed by his beloved. Sadik, being the good guy that he is, went to prison for something Rezzan did, only to be released and find that she had moved on with another man. This left him broken and devastated. Later on, Sadik falls for his friendly neighbor, Seval, even though she is quite younger than him. The two have a wonderful relationship marked by mutual respect and admiration.
Furthermore, thanks to his background, he has plenty of contacts who are willing to help him out of a jam in a jiff. Just a call away, he has so many people who can find out information for him, and then he makes the greatest use of the resources he has at his disposal. His skilled deductive capabilities, coupled with his inner child, make for an interesting personality archetype . He counts the seconds he has to wait for something, as he can’t get over his childish tendencies. Sadik gives his all for the people he loves. It is visible in the way he helps everyone at the expense of his own well-being. His selflessness is evident in the way he goes to prison without any complaints, only to save his wife, who’d just suffered a miscarriage. Sadik’s love and affection know no bounds. Even in his relationship with Seval, he treats her like a princess and takes care of her and all her problems.
Maide
Maide and Sadik have been friends since college. Even while working, they worked together as lawyers. Whenever Maide needs help getting something done, Sadik’s the one she calls for help. And like the truly good man that he is, Sadik helps her out. The same happens with the aforementioned missing person’s case as well. On the other hand, Maide seems to be an intruder with no boundaries. She meddles with Sadik and Rezzan’s relationship when he shouldn’t. Furthermore, she has no knowledge that her own husband has been cheating on her with multiple women.
She might be a good boss, but she fails at being a lawyer, and her deductive capabilities are of no use in her personal life. To some extent, Maide does not pay much attention to her household or her personal life. She is never at home with her twins and only relies on her babysitter, Yeter, to take care of her home.
Tevfik
At the center of the whole story and the missing person’s case is Tevfik. He is Yeter’s son and has been missing for a whole month. Being an employee of Maida, Yeter asks for her help in finding her precious son. In his mother’s eyes, Tevfik works hard in life to get his family back on their feet. He works for Kibar Hayros, a famous hairdresser. Yeter has been worried sick, as her precious son is as noble and innocent as a man can be. She does not understand what went wrong. Tevfik has a younger sister named Hatice as well. She is a carefree and rebellious soul. When Hatice does not seem worried or concerned for her brother, that’s when we are lured to figure out that there is something fishy about this whole debacle.
As the story progresses, we find out that Tevfik is not as innocent as he is made out to be. He is involved in human trafficking and other serious crimes that affect hundreds of people’s lives. Tevfik even sold her own sister to a rich man in exchange for money and power over her. He gets engaged in various nefarious activities without anyone else in his life knowing. Hatice learns of his shady crimes and starts keeping track of his whereabouts. She is the one who informs Sadik of Tevfik’s involvement in such activities and even gives his phone to him. Sadik then finds numerous photos and text messages that lead him toward Tevfik’s true self.
