Directed by Gönenç Uyanık, Last Call for Istanbul is an intense love story! The passion that has been portrayed in this film is beyond explanation. The plot revolves around an estranged couple who give their relationship one last shot. Starring beautiful actors Beren Saat and Kivanç Tatlitug, the film attains its utmost goal of making an appeal to the audience. The passion of the characters can be compared to that of Massimo and Laura in 365 Days. Will Mehmet and Serin be able to resolve their rifts and end up together? What plans do they come up with to save their relationship? Let’s find out!
Spoiler Alert
How Do Ryan And Samantha Meet?
Ryan meets Samantha at the New York airport as she is standing in the queue to collect her baggage. When she receives the bag, she realizes that it has been interchanged with someone else’s. Ryan comes to her rescue and advises her to open the bag, where she finds the name and phone number of the man to whom the suitcase belongs. When she calls the number, she is told that the address is in Chinatown. Ryan tells Samantha that he is also headed to Chinatown and that he will drop her. When they reach the place, they are told that the man is staying at the Marshall City Hotel. Samantha and Ryan head off to the hotel and are told that the man will not arrive before the next day. They decide to stay the night there and wait for the man. Ryan is seen to be almost instantly bedazzled by Samantha when he meets her for the first time and tries striking off conversations with her.
Ryan asks Samantha to join him at the rooftop bar later, and she initially refuses, stating that she is married and does not want to be involved with a stranger. Ryan also tells her that he is married and would never cheat on his wife. Later, we see Samantha joining him at the bar for a drink, and they start talking about the way people get bored after marriage and look for ways out. Samantha asks Ryan if he has ever cheated on his wife, and he denies, saying that he is not the kind of man who would do that. Later, they head off together to explore New York City. While on a bus, an artist notices them and paints them a picture. While Ryan is busy tipping him before getting off the bus, Samantha gets down, and the bus takes off. Samantha is heckled on the road by a group of prostitutes and a pimp. Ryan, however, manages to come back at the right time and rescues her. He then asks her to never let go of his hand! The incident does not keep them from enjoying their night, as they drink away all their stress and sorrows. They later end up getting physically intimate with one another.
What Are Ryan And Samantha’s Real Identities?
While we are questioning the moralities of both married individuals, the plot takes a sharp turn! We see Ryan and Samantha getting calls from their respective divorce lawyers reminding them of their advancing divorce dates! The confusion is cleared up when we get a glimpse of Samantha’s phone wallpaper of her and Ryan together. Ryan and Samantha are revealed to be Mehmet and Serin, who were a real-life married couple on the brink of divorce. They had come to New York to rejuvenate their relationship and give each other a last chance.
We are taken back in time when we see Serin and Mehmet overcoming all the obstacles and coming together to get married. They had met 10 years ago, and the moment Mehmet saw her, he knew that they had a spark and he did not have to look elsewhere. Serin had given up on her dreams of having a career in New York and lived in Istanbul with Mehmet. He had also given up on his dreams of running his own band and taken up a job after they got married. They had both made their fair share of sacrifices and remodeled their lives around each other. However, a few years down the line, they started losing the spark and regretting their decisions. That is when a wedge was drawn in their relationship.
What Issues Had Distanced The Couple?
Serin started regretting her decision to leave behind her career as a fashion designer just to be with Mehmet. She started becoming very irritated about not having any luck with her work in Istanbul. She started applying for jobs in New York without letting Mehmet know any of it. She feared that he would stop her from pursuing her dreams. However, Mehmet found out about the job applications and did not tell her anything about them. He waited for her to come clean about it. They started fighting over petty issues, and all their conversations started ending in arguments and disagreements. The last nail in the coffin was hit when Serin found out that Mehmet had been secretly talking to another woman. She asked for explanations about it from him, and he denied having cheated on her. Serin was unable to take the mental trauma and decided to file for divorce and then move out to New York.
Does The Trick Help Them Resolve Their Rifts?
Before their divorce, they are seen going to a marriage counselor, who confronts them about their own mistakes. She advises them to give some time to each other, go on a trip together, and act as if they had met for the first time, as it would give their relationship a fresh start. That is when the couple goes on a trip together and revives their old spark. When Mehmet asks Serin if she loves the man that she has met in New York, she says that she has found the old Mehmet in him. Despite the spark that they felt, Serin decided that she would pursue her career and let go of the burden of a marriage that she couldn’t bear any longer.
Serin manages to bag the dream job that she has always dreamed of. On the other hand, Mehmet is dejected and decides to leave New York, but before going away, he leaves a letter for her saying that he has booked a return ticket for her and that she is welcome to join him anytime she wants. He had poured his heart out in the letter about him being in love with Serin, despite all their differences. When Serin reads the letter, something in her heart changes, and she makes her way out of her busy schedule to the airport. The flight to Istanbul had almost departed when Serin arrived at the airport. She pleads with the airport authorities to let her board the flight, and Mehmet is seen returning from the flight gate to get his wife. They are eventually reunited, and they return to Istanbul.
Final Words
If a mere trip had been able to resolve the differences between spouses, then almost all the divorces in the world could have been avoided! However unrealistic the theme of the movie seems to be, the romantic elements want us to believe in the spark between Serin and Mehmet. The way that they had met each other at the airport made us believe that this was just another love story, but the sudden twist in the film completely changed our preview, setting it apart from other conventional stories. The passionate essence of the film makes us want to believe in the mysticism of love, and therefore, this film can act as a ray of hope for couples who have been estranged. It brings out the fact that love can never die but only gets repressed by the additional woes and worries of life. The narrative is simple, and the presentation is beautiful, leaving no scope for any inadequacy in the film.
