Very good script, acting, direction, production values by all. The ending confused me but Bram did introduce Kevin as his boyfriend and they will be together again but now Bram has to be with his family so pretty much all's well that ends well. I really liked this movie.

smart, beautiful, touching film. not only for story itself but for inspired manner to use different cultural pieces for a precise puzzle. humor, cultural impact, the family relationship, the identity of a foreign community and its circles. and , sure, the love story. after many homosexual movies, its basic virtue is its special freshness. not a lesson, not a speech about sexual minority rights. only a correct exercise about choice and tradition. and about the impact between worlds. last scene is splendid. and the Turkish bath scenes - full of delicate poetry. amusing, bitter, realistic. a good film. and little more.

Starting things off a little too on-the-nose, the film's protagonist (Cem Akkanat) introduces himself via voice-over: "I'm Ibrahim, I'm Turkish. I'm Bram, I'm Belgian. I am a Muslim … and I'm gay." Fortunately, things get less glib fast as we learn more about his world. He's smitten with blond, blue-eyed Kevin (Simon Van Buyten), who works at a restaurant run by his open-minded mother, Marina (Karlijn Sileghem). Though normally a slick pickup artist, Bram (who deals cocaine as a sideline to his job with an upscale caterer) is unsure of Kevin's sexual leanings.At home, however, Bram is Ibrahim, exemplary eldest son to émigré parents (Ergun Simsek, Tanja Cnaepkens) proud to have resisted liberal Western ways more firmly than many back home in Turkey. The thorn in their side is Ibrahim's younger sibling, Furkan (Lukas De Wolf), an angry teen who's turning into a little thug, skipping school and committing robberies with equally rudderless pals. Wise to his brother's hidden life, Furkan outs Ibrahim to take the heat off himself, but the family simply doesn't believe him.That leaves Bram free to invite Kevin along when he goes to Turkey -- a trip intended to confirm his arranged-marriage plans with educated cousin Elif (Gamze Tazim), though that becomes a mere obligatory aside to the two men's joyful consummation of mutual attraction. Their cavorting doesn't go unnoticed by a hotel porter (Hakan Gurkan) whom not-so-chaste Elif has been fooling around with. Presented with evidence, she proves too hellbent on moving West to be swayed from Plan A. But those photos will wreak havoc yet.Mix of comedy, romance, intrigue and religious/cultural tensions is smoothly handled for the most part, even if the film's increasing seriousness feels a little lopsided, particularly when a late instance of turnabout violence prompts all-around reconciliations a mite too conveniently. Nonetheless, "Mixed Kebab" enjoyably balances numerous themes and plot strands with brisk skill, presenting the gay relationship in an upfront manner without ever turning into a solely focused item. Ensemble cast, location choices, and tech/design contributions are all lively and spot-on.

I saw this movie at Cinequest Film Festival and was blown away by its cinematic beauty and topical storyline. The Muslim angle was fascinating as was the setting for part of the movie: Turkey, Muslim yet Western. The all-too-familiar family conflicts could be taking place in the U.S. for all of the similarities. I liked how petty criminal brother Furkan is pretty much a little punk, converts to fundamentalism (white pajamas and all), and is still a punk. (Some things never change.) The best part of the movie by far was its star, Cem Akkanat as the conflicted main character Ibrahim. He is handsome, expressive yet understated - a natural! I hope to see more of him in future films.