Les enfants de Belle Ville

I have recently seen all his movies(Asghar Farhadi), after he won the Oscar on 2011. this one is the best I believe. Although, much less people might prefer this one to "A separation" or "About Eli".

This one shows how difficult is to overcome the complex situations in our life. no matter how hard we try, or how sincere we are, there is always someone or something who will add to the heavy weight of sins(dark pieces, empty holes, or whatever you name it) we carry; resulting in THE yielding, and then us: watching hopelessly ourselves @ the very beginning.

This film shows the complicated relations in modern life very well. the weakness in the human beings, no matter how strong he seems to be. how the wind blows and destroys all the castles we made of love and tolerance.... how a single doubt could lead to complete failure.

I believe in this film the yielding happens when the uncle propose the disabled girl to "Ala" as an exchange for his friend's life. This was the critical moment when "Ala" failed to resist the tensions from the society and lost everything he'd gained including love & victory...

I really love the tale because in this story you cannot confidently judge which character is rightful.

P.S: "Shahr-e-ziba" Which's been translated to "Beautiful City" is a neighborhood in western Tehran in which the prison of -18 poisoners is located.

Every single film by Asghar Farhadi has beautifully captured a different section of Iranian society & Beautiful City is no different. The title referring to a juvenile detention center, Beautiful City tells the tale of A'la, whose friend Akbar has just turned eighteen which means he will be executed soon for the crime he committed two years ago. Knowing that Akbar has repented enough in the two years, has a good heart & doesn't deserve this punishment, A'la gets out of that place and later, accompanied by Akbar's sister Firoozeh, tries his best in persuading the victim's father to spare the boy from certain death.

The movie also shows that no matter how restrictive a society is, money can buy everything, including life & death. As the movie progresses, we find out that the lives of these characters aren't as transparent as we assumed in the beginning and the story slowly becomes a gritty examination of moral & human complexities and no character is spared from making a life-altering choice.

Covering the themes of love, corruption, sacrifice, forgiveness and how the confinements of society & religion sometimes stops a person from going with what the heart desires, Beautiful City is another thought-provoking cinema from Farhadi with a universal appeal that, in the end, may leave you little lost but you'll come around eventually. Also, it was after this film that Farhadi started crafting one masterpiece after another, so if you've seen his later films before this one, like I did, I suggest that you don't have the expectations of Fireworks Wednesday, About Elly or A Separation from this film.

In the west, there are occasional cries for so-called "victim's justice", where the person who suffers from a crime has a say in the treatment of the criminal: this deceptively simple film looks at how such a system works where it's actually practiced, under Islamic law in Iran. At first, the movie's set-up seems primitive, and there seems to be undue absence of emphasis on the crime itself: the immediately sympathetic characters all claim that their friend, a murderer, "doesn't deserve to die", but this is merely asserted and never proved. But as the film proceeds, it becomes clear that this is not the point: instead we see how, with the final verdict put in the hands of the dead person's father, responsibility for the killer's fate in passed onto those (both the father and also those who must plead with him for clemency) who cannot deal with it, and who will find no closure through being asked to take it on. The film's depiction of the role of women in an Islamic society is also perceptive and interesting. The subtle ending perfectly concludes a quiet tragedy that ultimately delivers more than is promised at the start.

"Shahr-e Ziba" graces the screen with my 7/10 rating, and I have to say, I liked it. The acting captures the nuances of characters navigating the complexities of love and life in the bustling city of Tehran. The film editing weaves together interconnected stories, reflecting the chaotic beauty of urban existence. Its strength lies in its portrayal of the pursuit of dreams and the resilience of the human spirit amidst adversity. The music, infused with Persian melodies, adds emotional depth, and the cinematography paints a vivid tapestry of the city's vibrant streets and hidden corners. "Shahr-e Ziba" is a heartfelt ode to Tehran, a reminder that even in the midst of chaos, there is poetry to be found, and my liking for it is as enduring as the city's timeless charm.