Three Monkeys could be about lots of things. Loyalty. Deception. Ennui. The allure and abuse of power.
What it's really about is convincing audiences that they have it far easier than the characters in this film.
For nearly two hours, director/co-writer Nuri Bilge Ceylan attempts to depress the hell out of viewers, and succeeds marvelously. After beginning with the intriguing concept of hiring innocent acquaintances to endure the guilty party's jail sentence in exchange for "a lump sum" of money, Ceylan tosses his audience into emotional purgatory without much to go on. A Turkish family of three, bound by an unspoken tragedy, furthers their unhappy lives through individual actions involving a politician, but other than getting audiences to feel really really bad for the family's situation, little else is going on here. In a film with less audible dialogue than a silent movie, enduring is a difficult assignment.
But all isn't completely lost. To affect such emotions, strong acting and filmmaking are on display, yet neither areas warrant much acclaim. Is it really an accomplishment to depress viewers and leave them dissatisfied? Stark visuals make up for a lack of plot and character interest a few times and a theme is established early on with the wife’s jilted love-song ringtone reminding viewers (and characters) with each phone call that life is excruciating for this family. However, when it rings for the 7th time, the message has gone too far.
For those who enjoy having heavy objects dropped on them from heights above 10 feet (or, possibly, the equally dreadful Death In Venice), Three Monkeys may be for you. For those who crave more out of cinema, look elsewhere.