Run for Money


Run for Money is a 1999 Turkish film directed by Reha Erdem. It was Turkey's submission to the 73rd Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.

Premise

Selim, a down-on-his-luck owner of a clothing store in Istanbul, boards a taxi one evening that contains a suitcase left behind by a previous passenger. The briefcase contains stacks of American $100 bills. Selim attempts to locate the owner of the briefcase, but the owner cannot be found. However, Selim learns the owner was a bank clerk who stole the money from his place of employment. In the meantime, Selim stores the money in his shop. One day his store's cash register is robbed. Selim gives in to temptation and starts to spend the money, at first only buying necessities but then gradually indulging in lavish purchases. This leads him down a dangerous path as he searches for the robber and tries to evade the owner of the suitcase.

Cast

Reception

Critical response

Phil Hall of Film Threat reviewed the film positively, writing that it "is a harrowing dissection of the nastier aspects of the human spirit. Filmmaker Erdem keeps the action flowing in swift, staccato rhythms that never veer into the predictable, and he wisely throws in inexplicable behavior which mirrors his protagonist’s increasingly warped inner emotions". He also commended Birsel's performance, saying the
character is both an everyman and a fool, an object of pity and derision…a real person, perhaps too real for comfort at times, and Birsel's performance covers amazing ground."