In Good Hands

While In Good Hands cleans up its muddy beginnings to end beautifully, it takes a long time to get going. Without giving away any spoilers, it's sufficient to say that much of this makes absolutely no sense until the major plot point is revealed around two-thirds of the way in. Up to that moment, it's only the good work of three talented performers, Urgancioglu, Enver, and Ak, keeping us interested in this implausible and irrational premise.

The script leans toward cutesy a little too often. A collection of toilet paper plays a role that's hard to justify. And parents and kids may want to discuss the way that a seemingly loving mother is almost too devoted to her child, not forcing him to attend school because he prefers being with her, not bringing others into their lives to enable him to become socialized and comfortable among people. These seem like mild forms of child mistreatment by a well-meaning parent trying to cope with her own isolation. She's loving and kind, but it often feels as if her over-nurturing and isolation has created an unpleasant kid with unrealistic expectations and inappropriate behaviors.