Septiembres de Shiraz

It's the 1970's & the Iranian revolution is well underway - look out those who prospered under the old regime as the 'new' is coming after you. This is the time writer Dalia Sofer is documenting - the need to escape at all costs. Many good performances bring this powerful recreation to life but, it's obvious from the mixed reviews not many people cared much for the story being told in this screenplay. Is it the fault of the screenplay or other? It's certainly a graphic image of a tumultuous time.

It's difficult to understand why the producer's of this quite major work, opted for the chosen style. If you have a dramatic real-life story to convey and a top cast to carry it, then why treat it to such a cheap photographic style? Australian director Wayne Blair, along with Australian cinematographer Warwick Thornton, have approached this project as if it were a low budget backyard movie. It features some of the worst hand-held camera work I've seen - at one stage it looked as if they were shooting during an earth tremor. At our screening, someone actually said the unstable images were making them nauseous. I'm wondering if this reflects on the Australian Film and Television School's idiom of over-the-top Political Correctness - as in the 'Identity Politics' currently being played out, that foolishly causes 'them and us' separationist type rifts? IE: 'here we have two aboriginals taking courses, must give them top marks for the world to see our ethos'. But, seems perhaps the rest of the world may not have shared our 'enthusiasm'.

Whatever it was/is this movie did not deserve to do so badly on the world stage. It offers a harsh reflection of the state of life at this challenging time – and, as it sadly remains! Mark Isham's music is effective and the use of a 2 Cellos track is well chosen. Overall, it's not as bad as some others have claimed – but with what seems like some 'tacked-on' scenes, should have been better.

What annoys me the most is that the voices of the cast is recorded, and that was disturbing, It could've been best, you have a great cast, a great story but a bad annouing result.

"Septembers of Shiraz" is a well made and very well acted film...but I cannot see many people wanting to see it for several obvious reasons. First, it's about the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and a lot of people just don't find this a 'sexy' subject for films. Second, no matter how how do such a film, people will find fault in how the Revolution is handled. Third, and most importantly, the film is incredibly unpleasant with scenes of torture...and a lot of folks don't want to watch someone being tortured. All these conspire to make this a difficult film to say the least.

The film begins as the Revolution is beginning. No context whatsoever is given to the viewer--nothing about the previous brutal regime of the Shah nor about the ideology of the Ayatollah and his followers. All you really learn is that the Shah was awful and the people who followed were awful. I know more about it because I am a retired history teacher...but the average viewer, particularly younger ones, will feel a bit confused. I think the reason they did this related to the second problem above...and so they apparently tried to make the film as apolitical and a personal film as they could instead.

The story is about a Jewish family and their particular experiences during this time. The husband, Isaac (Adrien Brody), is arrested...though you never learn exactly why. It seems as if he was arrested simply because he was rich and he undergoes both mental and physical torture from the new Republican Guard. During this time, his wife (Salma Hayek) waits and waits and watches everything they owned get stolen from thieves...all in the name of the Revolution. Will the husband be released and what of the family?

I noticed some folks complained about this film because the look wasn't just right--such as the wrong sorts of cars being shown in Iranian roads. Well...considering it was NOT filmed in Iran, and I STRONGLY DOUBT the government would have allowed this, this sort of complaint seems bizarre at best. The film was made in Bulgaria...and I guess they tried their best. I'll say no more about this.

Overall, the film is very well made and compelling...and unpleasant. Because it is a story about a real family, however, I cannot just dismiss it. It's worth seeing IF you are up to the task.

It's a bad time for Brody to be Jewish in Iran - and when he's abducted by those taking power, he's gotta fight to survive.

I find this movies exhilarating , emotional and in the mean time extremely sad, as always Adrian Brody hits his target. I am an Iranian so I can make a perfect connection to this story, it is a tale of exile and forced migration, I had to go through a less severe version of exile myself.

After the Islamic Revolution in Iran, the poor and illiterate that were empowered by the Islamists and mullahs have been given a power to loot, abuse and murder those in minorities,wealthy individuals and those who supported the previous regime. the story still continues till today. illiterate,bigoted Muslim thugs with beards still kidnap , murder, blackmail and ransack as they please. Mullahs still hold power in 21st century and Sharia law is the law of the land.

It is very hard for me or any Iranian who lived before the revolution to even imagine the ciaos brought upon us by these Islamic vermin. I even noticed some of the regime apologist have lowered the rating here in IMDb screaming murder and demanding justice.

This film is incredibly close to really, there was no propaganda involved and even today the same is happening in Iran, when country is taken over by a fascist religious ideology these kind of behaviors are normal. What is abnormal are the regime apologists residing in the west and still defending the undeniable.

The story begins when a prosperous Jewish family living in North Tehran faced with horrors, a self-made business man with his family watches as his country being tore apart by fascist religious bigots. being Jewish and wealthy, his business is ransacked by his own employees and he was arrested for being in touch with Royal Family of Iran, His wife and child are being abused and constantly taunted by the notorious IRGC members.on other side his wife and child waiting for hi at home are being faced with a class indifference and illiterate lower class demanding their rights.

Watching this movie is incredibility put you in touch with revolutionary Iran, it worth every second and it is an incredible accurate of what really happened.