A True Gentleman Review: A Bildungsroman Disaster

Netflix has added A True Gentleman to its library. The romantic drama arrived on the streamer on September 26, 2024. Directed by Onur Bilgetay, the film stars Çagatay Ulusoy and Ebru Sahin in lead roles.

The story of the film centers on Saygin, a gigolo who meets Nehir, a young girl, during a party and falls in love with her. The official synopsis of the film as per Rotten Tomatoes reads:

"Saygın appears to have carved out a place for himself in a world of luxury and glitter. To most in the city, he is seen as the ultimate for wealthy women—a seductive and aloof charmer. Yet, beneath this polished charm lies a starkly different reality. ... As a result, the meticulously constructed balance of his life starts to unravel."

A True Gentleman gives audiences hope that Saygin, the protagonist, would change completely after falling in love by hinting at a Bildungsroman in both the synopsis and the trailer.

It's an unsuccessful effort at a Bildungsroman movie but only because the screenplay didn't encourage the characters' growth.

Note: This article contains the author's opinion and has spoilers from A True Gentleman. Reader discretion is advised

---

A True Gentleman is an unsuccessful Bildungsroman attempt

A True Gentleman, a new Turkish drama on Netflix, gives details about Saygin's character development right away. The main character is introduced as Saygin, a charming and intelligent man who works as a male escort.

However, as the film goes on and Saygin meets Nehir, the love story that would change his personality and enable him to find what he needs gets delayed and never materializes, which may be upsetting and disheartening for viewers of the romantic genre.

The film leaves viewers wanting more of the same sensitive moments after its seductive and tense opening scenes. However, it doesn't feel like the storyline is progressing because most of the s*x scenes are edgy, weird or boring, and there appear to be gaps in the narrative as the script progresses.

Saygin makes a vow to Sirap, one of his clients, that he will only be her gigolo and that he won't have s*x with any other woman after moving into the house that Sirap gifts him, a few minutes into the film. However, Saygin breaks this commitment all the way to the very end. Most of the movie is filmed within the house, which adds to the cramped atmosphere.

Even though Saygin first encounters Nehir (the lady he falls in love with), early in the movie, their love story seems to be one that doesn't really begin until the very end, and even then, it finishes somewhat disappointingly, leaving viewers feel let down.

Saygin doesn't show Nehir that he's in love with her throughout the movie, despite the fact that he's aware of that. Viewers are once again offered hope that the pair might get back together once Nehir discovers the truth about Saygin at the end of the movie, but that doesn't happen.

As the movie comes to a close, Saygin leaves his work as a male prostitute to pursue a career as a chef since, as the movie showed, he has always enjoyed cooking. When he unexpectedly runs across Nehir in the restaurant, viewers are once again offered optimism that the two might get back together.

However, when Nehir leaves the scene, inviting Saygin to her debut performance, it doesn't happen. The conclusion is a far-fetched one that leaves viewers to speculate whether Saygin could ultimately rekindle their romance if she shows up to Nehir's concert.

On to Saygin's bildungsroman aspect: despite being a male gigolo, his character is shown to be shrewd and considerate of the feelings of the women he serves. Notwithstanding his gradual leaning during the movie, he eventually wants to leave this position because he wants to love a woman who he loves, not one who loves him.

However, none of his goals, dreams or components of his character materialize, so in terms of character development, the movie is a failure. Viewers of A True Gentleman may alternatively believe that Saygin was always aware of what he wanted from the start, but the poorly written script prevented him from fully developing his character.

---

In conclusion, A True Gentleman's one-hour and fifty-minute screenplay falls short of expectations, and the conclusion is disappointing. The English audio and subtitles on Netflix for A True Gentleman also feel strange because the movie is in Turkish.

Viewers are left wondering why they even watched the movie, as the conclusion is flat.

Final score - 3/5

---

A True Gentleman is now streaming on Netflix.