“Steam” is a slow, sensuous meandering journey both in its cinematic pacing and in the lead character, Francesco’s, coming out, coming home story. For a movie about hamam’s - Turkish steam baths - there’s a paucity of nudity!

Francesco (played by the GEORGEOUS Alessandro Gassman) and his wife Marta ( Francesca D’Aloja) run a successful interior design firm in Rome. But their marriage is on the rocks, with Marta, feeling neglected, secretly carrying on an affair with their mutual business partner, Paulo.

Francesco receives notification that a forgotten aunt has died and left him some property in Istanbul. He decides to go to Turkey to sell the buildings. But upon his arrival in Turkey, Francesco discovers that what he has inherited is a dilapidated Hamam, a traditional Turkish bath, operated by Osman, his wife and their beautiful son Mehmet and daughter Fusun. Enchanted with the ancient sensuality of the place, and against his lawyer’s advice, he decides to remain and restore the ruined hamam to its original splendor.

Francesco’s intensity begins to fade and he becomes friendlier as he fits into the rhythm of the ancient city. His taut facade fades to reveal to his homosexuality as he discovers his attraction and love in the person of Mehmet (Mehmet Gunsur - He’s such a wonderful boy!). When his wife arrives to admit her infidelity, she finds in Francesco a totally changed man. The twist being that when she’s about to confront him about her infidelity, she finds him doin’ the nasty with Mehmet and becomes bitter, incensed and a righteous bitch.

Lushly photographed, the film successfully creates an exotic atmosphere which nurtures freedom and release. A sensuously delicious film.1996, 94 min

A.K.A.: Hamam: The Turkish Bath

Country: Italy, Spain, Turkey

Studio: Strand Releasing

Cast: Alessandro Gassman, Francesca D’Aloja, Carlo Cecchi, Halil Ergün, Serif Sezer, Mehmet Gunsur, Basak Koklukaya

Director: Ferzan Ozpetek