Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul
Strand Releasing | Release Date: June 9, 2006 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
73
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
PremiereGlenn Kenny
But after surveying pop and rock hybrids, Akin and Hacke go deeper. You will be very happy indeed to make the acquaintance of such Turkish music luminaries as Orhan Gencebay and Sezen Aksu, whose stories and personalities are as fascinating as their music. Read full review
88
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
You'll feel lucky for such a comprehensive introduction to Turkish music. Read full review
80
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
This new film feels like something of a gift, as if the director had decided to burn some of his favorite songs for his newfound friends, the world-cinema audience. Read full review
80
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
Whatever you think you know about Turkey, Crossing the Bridge will change your mind. With a dynamite album of music from the film in simultaneous release, I smell a "Buena Vista"-style crossover hit. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
This sensational documentary, which follows German avant-garde musician Alexander Hacke around the city with his mobile recording studio, crosses all kinds of bridges. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Crossing the Bridge does more than offer a wide variety of entertaining and intoxicating Turkish music. It also uses music to paint a portrait of a vibrant, cosmopolitan city and provide a window into a rich and varied national culture. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubNoel Murray
Hacke is in almost every shot, taking in the performances and sometimes singing and dancing along, inviting the audience to share in the joy of discovery. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
As filmmaking, the docu is only travel-diary so-so. But the chance to experience the machine-gun rhymes of ''the Turkish Eminem'' - a young man called Ceza - is priceless. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
More than just a musical primer. It's also a valentine to the city on the Bosporus, the strait that separates Istanbul's Asian and European sides. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
It's hard to imagine what Akin left unexplored - but here's hoping he'll share his discoveries if he ever returns. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleJonathan Curiel
Has two main flaws: the emphasis it puts on German bassist Alexander Hacke, the film's ostensible narrator, who shows up in too many scenes, and the fact that it doesn't identify many of the film's performers until the very end. Even so, Crossing the Bridge is satisfying to watch. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerBill White
With adventurous forays into questionable neighborhoods and stimulating tours through street markets, "Crossing the Bridge" is about the city as much as its music. Read full review
70
VarietyDerek Elley
One of the world's great cities comes vibrantly alive through its music and musical denizens in Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul. Read full review
70
Village VoiceR. Emmet Sweeney
In briskly edited sequences peppered with fascinating found footage, each genre is tightly linked to a neighborhood. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderPeter Margasak
The intimate performance footage ranges from more traditional sounds to Turkish iterations of global styles like rock, hip-hop, and electronica, delivering commentary on the nation's conflicted status as a bridge between Europe and Asia that's even more poignant than the passionate and informative interviews. Read full review
70
Washington PostStephen Hunter
An infectious (in a good way) documentary. Read full review
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