Law of Tehran

For some time now, Iranian cinema has been stuck in a rut, a formula if you will. Recurrent themes include, but are not limited to societal problems, family issues, poverty, etc. Saeid Roustaei's second feature film following his debut, "Abad va Yek Rooz" is an attempt to break this mold.

'Metri Shes Va Nim' is the story of a police officer who is after a major drug dealer in Tehran. The movie shows how the police force follow leads and do whatever is in their power to get to top of the food chain. Police brutality, atrociously inhmane conditions in jails and the disrespect for the sanctity of life are all portrayed with grimy detail. In this respect, the movie is similar to 'The Wire' in that it gives viewers a glimpse into how sausages are made and the methodical way in which the police intimidate, coerce and trick people on their way to bringing down bad guys. This aspect of the film, which mainly unravelled during the first half, was a breath of fresh air.

The second half, however, became a bit too melodramatic for my taste. It seemed as if the plot ended up steering in the direction that many Iranian films these days take. I was hoping to follow a complex, coherent and compelling story line. Instead, to my disappointment, the plot spiraled into a loose and rambling melodrama where I felt I was being lectured on why people turn to selling drugs and how crime does not pay. While I commend the director for giving viewers a glimpse into the gritty reality of a world that is less often seen (with details that only an insider would know), I feel we have a long way to go before we can do away with the polemics and social commentary and simply focus on good story telling.

Initially, one can easily point out that the film's style is realistic because it depicts the lives of two segments of the drug addict community (also drug dealers) and policemen in the maze of the law road against the distribution, consumption and, of course, drug production. . The script doesn't show any flaws, and a detailed schedule is arranged for each sequence, and the arrangement of the various scripts was very clean and meticulous, captivating the viewer and the milestones so breathtaking that they acted in the auditorium. The cinema needed drinking water, which of course had a very effective effect on the film. Another factor that can be said to be a factor in the success of the film is the correct casting. For example, Maadi's pact was so well-suited to his role that if you didn't know he was an actor you would probably have two guesses that he was a successful cop. And to top it off, the filming and coding and visualization of the cameraman were so clean that it was impossible to overlook the cinema. And last but not least, I would like to commend Mr. Rural for his strong work that has won the popular vote at the Fajr Film Festival while waiting for people to go to the cinema rather than to promote culture

A very strong film with a theme unlike all other Iranian films we have seen which focus mostly on personal issues in a changing -and not changing- society. The thematic is the millions of drug addicts in Iran and the fight of a few policemen to control it. The violence used by the police force is appalling as a paling are the conditions hundreds or thousands of homeless drug addicts live in. Also the personal stories of the two policemen in charge create doubts as to their integrity. Questions as where the state and social services are arise and if punishment of the culprits is enough to deal with the enormous problem. All in all a great film, a punch in the gut.

I was simply overwhelmed by the fierce energy of this Iranian crime movie. The story is told from two opposite points of view: one from a detective who tries to nail a drug lord, and the other from the drug lord who tries to bribe the detective. They are both relentless and messed up in their own ways, which made it hard for me to decide which character I should take sides with. Also, some scenes(for example, prison packed with drug addicts) were so real that I often forgot this was a work of fiction. Everything I saw here was chaos : no true justice, no decent laws, no good guys. Very disturbing but a powerful piece of work.

This portrait of a fringe of Iranian society is powerful, a thriller that thwarts conventional criteria to make it a real great movie where we go through all possible human emotions. For me a masterpiece.