The Actor

Iranian movies came to my life in the early 90's. Very frequently, they surprise me, just like this one.

When the entire world wants movies to be sexed up by more sex, violence and kinky scenes, I greatly appreciate the Iranian film makers that they produce outstanding movies with children and ordinary people in this supposedly closed Islamic country. This brings along a new breath into the world movie scene.

The themes of actors' identity on screen and off screen, acting or living (autobiographical) in the camera are both most studied in Iranian movies.

Akbar (played by Akbar Abdi) is a accomplished Chaplin-like comedian wishing to do serious and challenging art movies but circumstances just prevent that from being materialized. His seemingly barren wife, Simin is so anxious to give him a child to an extent that she seems to be pretty mad and eccentric in many bizarre ways. To cut the Gordian Knot, she arranges for him to marry a dumb-deaf gypsy girl. In between, bunches of crazy and funny moves. Yet, when he decides to get rid of commercial films once and for all, his own wife is pregnant, which may alter his plans.

The ending impresses me the most: Akbar wants the gypsy girl to leave because his wife is expecting now, she is a "surplus". The girl reclaims her all her "insanity" and opens her mouth to seriously tell the truth that her acting is for making a living, she has been acting all the time. Who would disagree that she is the best leading actress in the show?