Gholam

A thought-provoking look at the Iranian diaspora, shedding light on some interesting cultural issues that are often overlooked and offering a rarely seen glimpse of the gritty, run down side of London.

The film starts slowly but is thoughtfully paced and builds nicely to a surprising conclusion. Shahab Hosseini's excellent performance brings out the nuances of a subtle yet powerful script. Refreshing not to be spoon-fed a narrative.

The director's artistic credentials translate well to the screen with the film visually arresting throughout.

You people just don't get it. I find so delightful the truthness in this antiglamorous London, the true London outside tourism. The London for those who doesn't have any penny.

Shahab Hosseini is the spirit of inmigration. Something remains hidden in his life, something that he wants to get away. He wants to join in another country and culture, but the city is so alienating, so the sensation of loneliness gets almost every frame. The atmosphere in this film is so well done, the tone really put us in the mood of the main carachter. Some people says that reminds them to Jean-Pierre Melville. I wouldn't go that far, but yes, is a sober and moody atmosphere for a moody world.

Shahab Hosseini is just perfect. I recently watched a pair of films with awful actors and i tell you it's so hard what he does, hiding under Gholam's skin, just he's not acting. It's very subtle and I love it. It really brings me honestly to a part of the world that in fact exists.

Maybe the story it isn't the more banging you'll see, but can keep your attention if you are a bit patient. A beatiful slice of true cinema. If you find it boring, just try to find some popcorn spectacle, something outside reality or, if not, snobbish art-house films.

Beautifully shot and atmospheric, the film portrays migrant life in London in a highly authentic way. Gholam is the story about a minicab driver living in London. As the story unfolds the drama is ramped up, and it becomes clear that there is much more to Gholam than meets the eye. Brimming with humanity, this film explores themes such as identity, morality, taking responsibility, and how you can't run from your past.

Superbly acted by a leading Iranian actor and skilfully directed by Mitra Tabrizian this is a film to be enjoyed on several levels - most obviously as thriller. But more powerfully as a portrayal of a man who retains his integrity through refusing to engage with others. This is a tricky task and the award winning Hosseini plays it to perfection. He uses a minimum of words but his demeanour conveys all.

My appreciation of the film deepens as I think about what kind of man Gholam is. For undoubtedly he is the very centre of the film. It is not that he shows us how to make or refuse choices. Rather, the enigmatic figure of Gholam opens onto questions of choice and freedom.

Both the director and the actor are to be congratulated. Together they have produced a central character like no other.

This is the first feature-film by the acclaimed photographer Mitra Tabrizian. Set in the unfamiliar world of the Iranian community in London, it's a tense, slow-burn thriller featuring Cannes-award-winning actor Shahab Hosseini ('The Salesman', 'A Separation') as an ex-soldier sought out by two secretive Persians for a clandestine mission.

Hosseini's character, Gholam, works at night as a cab driver and, without wishing to give too much away, the film shares a further intriguing connection with Scorsese's 'Taxi Driver' in the way that Gholam becomes more interested in getting involved in a complete stranger's plight, rather than taking up the cause of his fellow countrymen. In this way, the film deals with existential issues around what's worth living for, dying for and killing for, making it reach out to viewers way beyond its Iranian context.

The mood of It brings to mind the cool, detached style of the films of Jean-Pierre Melville, such as 'Le Samurai'. Hosseini is a mesmerizing presence as always – he's one of those actors who can convey so much with just a look. It's beautifully photographed and it slowly grips you in a web of despair and atonement. It's an assured debut from Tabrizian who joins the growing ranks of artists making the move into cinema. It'll be fascinating to see where she goes from here.