Motståndaren

"Iman" (Payman Maadi) and his family are living in a Swedish hostel awaiting a decision on their refugee application. Wife "Maryam" (Marall Nasiri) is expecting a baby which is quite a surprise given the two aren't exactly loved-up! Their initial application has been rejected so they must appeal. He comes across as a decent, hard working man and before he took a job delivering pizzas in all weathers, he was a part of the Iranian wrestling team at the Rio Olympiad. He reckons that if he joins a local team, it might earn them some extra brownie points with the immigration authorities. She's less than impressed with this decision, and as he plays more of a part with the team and befriends "Thomas" (Björn Elgerd) we begin to piece together a jigsaw that explains a bit of their hasty flight from home, their strained marriage and the current conflict that neither he nor she can see an easy way out of. On some levels, this works quite well - but there are just too many plot holes and the story evolves in all too bitty a fashion. It doesn't address the elephant in the room directly, but leaves us to make our own assumptions before it ends unsatisfactorily and incompletely. It has a point to make, it just doesn't really make it very forcefully or memorably. It does make you realise just how physical wrestling is, though, but otherwise rather disappoints.

This film is a real surprise. It explores the world of emigrants who have a secret that drove them away from home but who end up falling in the same pattern of behavior. Nobody can escape from who he is.

The actors are amazing and the atmosphere of snow and alienation in Sweden is very well rendered.

The wrestling scenes are powerful as they carry both homoeroticism and the repressed violence of the hero.

The secondary characters are well defined and reveal the contrast between the emotional of the eastern emigrants and the reserve of the western.

Superbly acted, masterful direction, excellent music. Yet the end is rushed and a bit disappointing compared to the rest of the film

Otherwise an excellent film for adults.

The main virtue of this beautiful film remains the acting, Marall Nasiri and. Payman Maadi offering admirable portraits of Maryam and Iman.

The second good point is represented by wise manner to explore sensitive problems, from Iranian regime and delicate situation of citizens in non democratic state , the roumors being more significant than the facts, the emmigrant status and the homosexuality, the fragile status of patriarch of family out his comfort zone, the sacrifice, assumed at whole, to be with family and the clash of meet between a young man and a mature one.

The gray part ( not exactly bad ) is the ambiguity. Opponent remains a sketch and, near performances, this supports the poetry of story .

The acting is good, there's no doubt about that, and the whole film has atmosphere and mood throughout, enough to keep us watching for the whole two hours.

The frustating thing is that the story isn't really told, it's only hinted at in vague terms, so it felt like and opportunity missed.

There are a few reviews here giving it top marks and calling it landmark cinema, but often film makers fall for the temptation of coming here to try and pump up theor movie with top notch reviews. In this case, they've also come back to upvote all their reviews and downvote the real ones, and I expect this review to get the same treatment. It's a shame, it would be so much better to let it find its own audience.

"Opponent" struggles with emotional depth, uneven pacing, superficial exploration of queerness, underdeveloped supporting characters, and underutilization of its eerie setting despite promising ingredients.

The film's twists are telegraphed early on, robbing them of impact. Viewers familiar with the genre will see them coming, and the lack of surprise undermines the tension.

Despite Payman Maadi's strong performance, the film fails to deliver impactful storytelling, leaving viewers disappointed and yearning for more depth and nuance.

On a positive note, the snowbound landscapes of northern Sweden create an eerie backdrop. However, the film doesn't fully capitalize on this setting. The cinematography hints at something more profound, but it never fully materializes.