Invasion

Generally speaking, Shahram Mokri's (at least) early films present a cinematic perspective on theater or, simply as he asserted in interviews, this is a second look at theater. So by Mokri you are, in fact, watching a theatrical performance and experiencing a closer narrative touch - than what cinema can normally provide - through a cinematic frame.

Concerning Invasion, several long takes, which I believe you rarely came across before, and a few nonstop story loops amaze you so much that you can't take your eyes off them. You are in effect given no time to analyze the information the scenes bombard you with in both visual and verbal forms. This could be both a blessing and a curse for the audience as you may fall behind the incoming events and facts when you are figuring out the outgoing. They are slippery as fish to grasp!

The performances are almost perfect to the point of being robotic. However, considering the necessities of the film, the cold robots come in handy and fit the atmosphere well.

To sum it up, the film is extremely engaging and somehow mind-boggling especially in the first encounter. So equip yourself with total focus and awareness to enjoy a distinctively intelligent film.

Apart from the fine score, and the astounding performance by the leading actor, there was not much to admire about this film.