Good picture quality (considering), and moments of humor that even prick the non-Persian-speaker’s funny-bone!, 29 July 2007
To begin with, no, I don’t speak Persian. However, I happened to be a very big fan of a cast-member of the film (Nooshafarin), being that I like middle-eastern music, and she was and is a great Persian pop-star, now residing in the U.S. In-short, she was my link to Persian films in general, and this one in particular.
Being that I don’t speak the language of the film, the visual aspect of it was all the more acute to me. I must admit though, there was a tendency to be unwittingly critical of the photography, given the hype associated with movies, thanks to Hollywood. But, one must remember, this is not a Hollywood film. Thus, the resources are few. So, the only viable comparison would be that between this and other Persian films- more specifically—ones of the same era—pre-revolutionary, 1970s Iran.
Well, owning to my new-found “worldly” perspective, I did eventually see other Persian films of the era. And, ultimately, considering the competers of the time, I have to say that this is quite a quality piece of film-making, from a country whose efforts for a great film have been proved both visually and otherwise, to be umpteen times more difficult than even the average “independant” film-maker, in the States. Therefore, in that case, this film deserves praise for the nice photography alone.
Other great points about the film include the bits of humor. Yes, from a “non-Persian-speaking” point-of-view, I get the impression that this is a bit of a romantic-comedy (and an enjoyable one, at that). OK, so there are some dull moments…Albeit, there’s just enough comedy to keep folks like me tuned-in, and aware, meaning that it sort of adds to the interpretation of the film. Not to mention that this movie is chock full of visual clues as to the actual contemporary, contradictory culture of the country, at the time of filming. It shows a free-er Iran, one in which the women were clad in mini-skirts and make-up, and the head-covering was only an option, usually for the particularly conservative females (such as Nooshafarin’s character).
The comedy may be comparable to a low-budget Mel Brooks or maybe even Woody Allen film?
So, I can’t tell you much about the story itself, but I can say that it was worth watching, if only for the wonder…
