saba_v

This beautiful, lyrical movie takes the viewer into the mind of an intellectual, intelligent woman and the way life as a mother, a woman and a professional feels to her. The internal struggle of the protagonist, which is universal and gender-blind, is made very palpable by the quite, intimate atmosphere of the movie, the great cinematography and the fantastic cast. The main character of the movie is a film maker, and the footage she takes for a future movie is very effectively used to explore the different aspects of the dilemma facing her: where should one draw the line between one's individuality and the relationships with beloved ones? Through ostensible interviews with various women, the movie explores the range of answers given to this question in a touching, intelligent way.

The fact that after 50 years, it is still a highly watchable movie, says a lot about it. It is more intelligent and interesting than almost all recent movies of the same genre you can find, and has a certain endearing feeling of innocence to it. I am not a big fan of this type of movies, but I could watch the whole thing without being bored, which makes it a good movie to watch with someone who does not necessarily share your taste in films. I liked the black and white palette, the excellent casting, the clever heist scene that keeps you guessing about what trick they will pull next, and the ending like everyone else. Watching the heist sequence makes one realize the power of silence, which is unfortunately so underused in today's cinema.

This is a lyrical, pleasantly hypnotic film about the life and times of one of the greatest Persian painters, Kamal ol Molk. The events in the movie happen as if in a dream, while following the tumultuous events of the first half of twentieth century in Iran through the eyes of the great painter. Kings come, kings go, and the weak but likable Ghajar dynasty monarchs are replaced by the rather brutal, pragmatic strongman Reza Pahlavi. The slow, rather passive, "old world" ambiance of the old system is replaced by a new, harsh, modern reality so alienating that the painter is reduced to threatening to cut off both his hands so he is not forced to put this new order of things on canvas. He retreats to the old world, and rediscovers beauty. I just wish the movie had put more of the master's paintings in context. While we see the settings in which some of his canvases are painted, there is not much reference to the rest of his body of work. Overall, I found it an enjoyable movie.