Let me start by saying that this is not an "easy" movie. One lady in the cinema said at the end that she was "feeling overwhelmed" while watching it. I agree, there is a kind of oppressive atmosphere in this movie. Sometimes it is more tangible, and some other times is less explicit, but it is always there. Nahid is a divorced Iranian woman that has to deal with a tough situation: she is in love with a man, but marrying to him will mean that she loses the custody of her son (this is Iranian law). She doesn't know how to deal with it, and she cannot completely make her mind. She feels oppressed, by an ex-husband that has been neglecting her for many years, by a son that doesn't respect her, by a landlord that doesn't let her stay more time, by a society that looks down at her... and by herself, who sometimes can be her own worst enemy.
The director nicely presents us this slice-of-life, in which the different actors play very well and credibly their respective roles. Maybe the roles of the two men are a little bit clichéd, but overall the acting is good. Everything transitions smoothly, and the photography and music are smartly crafted to nicely present the different scenes that take place in this observed domestic drama.
Nahid is a nice window into the life of a woman in the Iranian society, but it is also a sensitive reflection about the dilemmas and crises that we have to face during our life, independently of our culture.
