Az kenar-e ham migozarim

We saw this movie at the Montreal film festival this summer. The concept is interesting (following different travellers on a road in Iran who encounter each other for various reasons). One of the problems with the movie is the subtitles. They are *extremely* long. The quality of the English also leaves something to be desired, but because of the length of the subtitles, you feel as if you're reading and barely watching the movie itself. It's also hard to take to the characters, who have no real drawing power.

All in all, it was good. Recommended (as a rental) if you're up for a lighter drama.

GOING BY, a film by first-time director, Iraj Karimi, is a movie that does not connect or effectively engage the viewer, but maybe the motion picture is simply lost in translation. Not only were the subtitles hard to read, but many were very badly translated into English. Although the film was shot at numerous beautiful and interesting locations which have not been featured in many films, several scenes were grainy, muddy, or poorly lit. Nearly every shot in the film takes place on a long and winding two-lane highway which visits many different kinds of terrain. The film featured four different cars which represent four different story-lines, and they all travel the same route north out of Tehran to the Caspian Sea. A rather lame and heavy handed attempt is made to interlink their stories, but, MAGNOLIA it ain't.

There seems to be two distinctly different types of movies being made in Iran now. One is for internal consumption and another for foreign festivals. With the notable exception of Majid Majidi (Color of Paradise, Children of Heaven)it is very rare that an Iranian movie can become successful both at home and abroad. The growth of so-called (in Iran) "Festival movies" is often credited to the famed Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. His success has encouraged many Iranian directors to forget about the traditional, narrative-driven Iranian cinema and instead follow the loose narrative / docu-drama school of Kiarostami.

Going By belongs firmly in the Kiarostami school of cinema. It is clearly influenced by films such as Taste of Cherry and Ten. However, putting people in a car and having them have conversations about life, a la Taste of Cherry, does not necessarily make for great cinema. Only a master like Kiarostami can pull off such tricks. Here we have a few cars traveling from Tehran to the Caspian sea. In one is a widow traveling, inexplicably, with her deceased husband's lover. In another, a father is returning north after the Tehran doctors have confirmed the incurable nature of his son's cancer. In another car a divorced father is traveling with his sons, one of whom wants to be a film critic. The passengers in these cars meet for different reasons during the course of the movie, often indulging in conversations about life, love and all things meaningful. At the end, however, one leaves the theatre not quite satisfied with the final product in direct contrast to the wondrous owe that is left after experiencing a Kiarostami movie.

Going By is not a bad movie. It is a nice try but Karimi should find his own voice and give us something more original and substantial next time.