The President

I don't know who wrote comedy drama at the top of this page. The only excuse I can make for such an error is somebody confusing satire with comedy, because there's a lot of satire here but not a shred of comedy. In fact, we are ended here with a tragedy, that only the director's political ideology stopped before it had reached its natural conclusion. The ending of this film is not the ending that flows from the story but rather the ending Mohsen Makhmalbaf wishes he could write for all the political sagas unfolding around the world.

As is, this ending is a problem, but when we get Makhmalbaf's talent for combining hauntingly beautiful images into an unforgettable story. The amazing actors performing in this film headed by Misha Gomiashvili and Dachi Orvelashvili in the two leads. The cinematography that presents all this tragic beauty on screen, the perfect editing of this movie - think about the fact that the most memorable image from this film is the one we never see on screen (with a pitchfork) - the final scene of the film becomes almost a minor issue. It's another must see masterpiece of Makhmalbaf, if you get the chance don't miss it.

Silence against cruelty only helps tyranny to become stronger, even worse than the worst dictator is the people who remain silent in his reign of terror. The president (2014) is poetic, poignant and precise.

a dictator . his fall. and beginning of a way. one of films who could be defined as puzzle of memories. because the run, the fear, the dialogues, the transformation and the last scene are pieces from a wise manner to reflect reality on screen who has few brilliant examples in Eastern films. not exactly a national school but a great cinematography. slices from Repetance of Abuladze or Tarkovsky's universe, splendid exploration of detail, the air who becomes material and the scene of home return, the beach and the arguments of young man, the fight with the past, in words, looks and intentions, each, all define a film who could be real discovered in its profound sense - the artistic side is only one from them - for the public who preserves in his personal past slices from a dictatorship.

A dictator falls into a position of traitor in his country as the result of social conflictional rebel. That unnamed country metaphorizes any dictatorship regyme in the real world. The president faces the cruelty, poverty and madness which are caused by his despotic politics. What an irony of truth is that Iranian Director Makhmalbaf had to shoot the film in Georgia and Tajikistan because of conservative preventions of Iranian governments. The president is really a brilliant movie and it indicates Makhmalbaf's top level of directorship experience.

Set in a non existent country we meet El Presidente, or 'your Majesty' as he likes to be called. He is a nasty, self obsessed man who has surrounded himself with the trappings of any self respecting tyrant. His children are spoilt, he out corrupts the most corrupt and most of his fawning subjects hate his twisted guts.

Then the people just crack over his latest outrage and a revolution kicks off; as he has been detached from reality for so long he is unaware quite how bad things are and elects to stay to sort out the kerfuffle. His grandson – a mere boy- also wants to stay with him, and grandpops relents. Soon they are on their own and having to survive by their wits.

Now this is a film made in Georgian and the sub titles could have been better, but it has a momentum right from the start that just grips you and makes you want to go for the ride. The performances are excellent, the action sequences realistic and often brutal. The filth and detritus that we see as the plot unfolds can be quite moving too. Add to all of that a very humanist story and you get a well made, conceived and presented original piece of cinema.

The fact that this is a fictional country means, that it is not penned in by the constraints of history and so is free to concentrate on the human side of the story. This also means that we avoid political dogma and just see what extremism can do to people. Well worth a punt even if you are half curious as I strongly feel you will not be disappointed.