Cas de conscience

No Date, No Sign (2017) is an Iranian movie co-written and directed by Vahid Jalilvand.

Amir Aghaee portrays Kaveh Nariman, a respected forensic pathologist. One evening he has a traffic accident in which no one appears to be seriously injured. However, three days later, a dead child is brought to the pathology department. Dr. Nariman realizes that this boy is the child who had been slightly hurt in the accident.

Leila (Zakieh Behbahani), a skilled colleague and friend of Dr. Nariman, performs the autopsy. The real plot starts at that point.

Navid Mohammadzadeh portrays Moosa, the father of the young boy. He's a powerful actor, and is truly the lead actor in the film.

In fact, all three actors are extraordinarily talented. Vahid Jalilvand is a brilliant director. Director and actors have combined to give us an extraordinary movie. The film will hold your interest in every scene. It will work well on the small screen. No Date, No Signature has a solid IMDb rating of 7.3. I think it's even better than that.

This is an intense and complicated Iranian drama starring Amir Aghaee as Dr. Kaveh Nariman, who one night driving on the highway accidentally hits a family of four riding on a motor scooter. As details emerge from all parties involved, the consequences of this incident will become enormous.

The movie, directed by Vahid Jalilvand, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Ali Zarnegar, kept me engaged and interested throughout. Aside from Aghaee, look for fine performances from Hediyeh Tehrani, Navid Mohammadzadeh, and Zakieh Behbahani.

Overall, this is a powerful film with loads of realism. I did think the surprise ending was somewhat implausible but for those that like intense foreign films, this one may very well be to your liking.

A strong connection between guilt and moral compass.conflicts of a man in an ethical dilemma.it takes 2 minutes for you to connect with the characters and the story.

A mirror of Iranian cinema that reflects the personality of the protagonist from the point of view of the doubt of existence.

"No Date, No Signature" is a character study from Iran and perhaps the best film shown in the U.S. this year to date. It's an engrossing story of an Iranian doctor who sideswipes a motorbike carrying a couple with two small children. He makes amends as best he can but doesn't tell the police as his insurance has lapsed. Several days later a boy's body is brought to the hospital where he works, and he immediately recognizes the name. The boy is said to have died due to food poisoning, but was he in some way responsible?

The acting in this picture is superb and all are Iranian actors. The doctor wrestles with his conscience and decides to autopsy the boy himself. The doctor is the star of the picture, but the man who plays the boy's father is outstanding, the best acting our shores have seen in a long time. I don't do spoilers, but you would have to see this film to appreciate the level of competence by all concerned. Another surprise is how courteously the women are treated, since we have been conditioned to believe that women are considered second-class citizens.

Movies of this caliber are seldom made in the U.S. anymore. Most are made for teenagers and it is refreshing to see a well-made movie for adults. You'll have to work to see it as it's only at one theater, NYC's Film Forum. The title refers to the death certificate, which the doctor will not sign until satisfied.

8/10 - The website no longer prints my star ratings.