This Iranian film turns out to be a surprise, competent and observant but perhaps not the comedy it was billed to be. What it does give us is a look at modern Tehran and the activities of its citizens, very similar to much of the world but with the heavy influence of this theocracy.
Mina (Forough Ghajabagli) is overweight, swathed in clothes and receptionist for a plastic surgeon which means she sees all sorts. Tehran is apparently a major centre for plastic surgery, their bodies being something locals want some control over. Mina catfishes male clients by sending them messages and sexy photos as Sara but then observing their arrival at a café for the rendez-vous without responding to her phone. Her mother wants her married off but she hates the local pizza man mother has lined up. When she does meet more suitable men, they turn out to be married or unavailable and frankly she is not such a catch.
Vahid (Mehdi Saki) is a funeral singer, lugubrious and disheveled, more so after a fiancée rejects him.
He tries his hand at wedding singing but that seems to be out because he is tied to the church and they don’t approve. Vahid is a sad 40-something under the thumb of his father and his priest who want to keep him in the religious straitjacket.
He does meet an attractive photographer Niloufar (Behnaz Jafari) but she is about to migrate and is far too sophisticated for him. Finally, we have Hessam (Amir Hessam Bakhtiari), a former champion bodybuilder who is a personal trainer these days, trying to get into movies.
He takes on a young man Arshia (Amir Reza Alizadeh) and we sense that Hessam is attracted to this young man and perceives that the feeling is reciprocated. For whatever reason, this potential love goes the way of others, probably Arshia unwilling to risk such a liaison in this society.
Ali Jaberansari directs this film sensitively with some humour and much subtle detail. He and co-screenwriter Maryam Najafi convey plenty about the restrictions and apparent freedoms put on locals born in this place in this time with these conditions.
Even removing our mask as Western free onlookers we can see that psychologically things are not 100% in Iran, that people are doing what they can to live their best life and a life like anyone else in a modern city. The irony also is that these characters could exist in New York or anywhere else but watching this film you sense that their chances are fewer.
It is a small but well constructed and acted film. Bekhtiari has a wonderful hangdog face.
3 stars
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