Background

The Iranian New Wave was characterised by a self-aware, poetic, documentary-style of storytelling that focused on lower and middle-class subjects. It also took inspiration from other new-wave film movements from other parts of the world, such as Italian Neorealism. “Filmfarsi” was the most common style of film in Iran before the new wave. These were commercial films that replicated the style of Bollywood movies of the time. Filmfarsi is often criticised for its low-quality and over-the-top plotlines and storytelling. The loss of popularity of Filmfarsi coincided with the growth of the Iranian New Wave. The Iranian New Wave is often subdivided into three waves;

First Wave

The first wave came in the sixties as Filmfarsi lost popularity amongst the general public. Filmfarsi did not accurately reflect the reality of Iranian life and locals began to seek out better artistic representation. An early precursor to the first wave was Serpent’s Skin (1964) by the director Hajir Darioush. Films like Shohare Ahoo Khanoom (1968) and The Cow (1969) opened the doors to fresh, new, politically-driven narratives that captioned the attention of movie-goers. These had philosophical yet realistic depictions of Iranian life, unlike the melodramatic musicals of Filmfarsi. This wave lasted until the Iranian revolution in 1979 which introduced Islamic restrictions on the film industry.

Second Wave

The second wave lasted till 1999 and introduced some of the most internationally recognised films to come from Iran. Despite political turmoil, the craftsmanship of Iranian films steadily improved. The critically acclaimed Children of Heaven (1997), directed by Majid Majidi, was one of the most recognised films of this era. Like some other films of the Iranian new wave, it followed the trend of focusing on children as its main subjects, which lent it an air of innocence and relatability. It depicts the struggle of a brother and sister surviving in a typical poor Iranian family. It later became the first Iranian film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Third Wave

The third wave, from 2000 to 2011, includes the most recent films of the movement. A great example would be A Separation (2011), directed by Asghar Farhadi. The drama explores the multifaceted lives of a couple with a struggling marriage in modern-day Iran. It won a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It was also the first Iranian film to win the Golden Bear.

Impact

The distinct socially aware down-to-earth approach of the Iranian New Wave, fiction with the air of a documentary, has had a global impact on cinema as a whole. Filmmakers from Persia to Europe have paid homage to this unique artistry. A noted example is the English director Michael Winterbottom with his film In This World (2002).

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Fans of Inception will enjoy the reality-bending storyline and visuals. The romance subplot helps balance out the brooding and introspective energy of the film. The film received mixed reviews, however, it’s a good watch if you want to see a dark fantasy spin on the age-old rags-to-riches story. Be warned, the film involves violence and themes of suicide. Let’s take a closer look;

The Story

The movie follows the life of Sang Yu, a poor screenwriter plagued by terrifying nightmares. Every time he sleeps, he crosses over to a strange alternate reality where a dark shadowy figure attacks him. He tries to cure his chronic insomnia by going to various healers without success. Unable to sleep properly for months on end, he can no longer write. His agent, San, is hounding him to finish the script he got an advance for, and his landlord is demanding unpaid rent.

With everything else going on, Sang Yu still frequently passes by a nearby café to watch Hua’er, a girl he’s pining after. He eventually comes home to find himself evicted. With no money, no family, no prospects and his sanity in shambles, he sends San a suicide note via text and climbs onto a building to jump to his death. A kind street vendor saves him at the last minute, offering a free meal and some advice. The old man tells him that whenever he’s in the middle of a nightmare, he should just tell himself; “I’m only dreaming”.

This advice changes Sang Yu’s life. He learns how to wake himself up at will, which comes with one amazing perk; he can bring items from his dream world back to his current reality. He starts bringing back precious antiques which he pawns for huge amounts of money. Of course, power comes with consequences.

While watching this, I could tell that there was a twist coming, but it wasn’t what I expected. The film took a few unexpected turns and played on the psychological aspect more than I expected. However, in my opinion, the deeper spiritual meaning the film aimed for fell a little flat at the end. There were too many mixed metaphors and the ending felt cobbled together, with a very vague conclusion.

The Characters

Something I appreciate about this film is that although it is fantasy, the actions and thought processes of the characters are realistic. The old superhero trope of immediately trying to save the world or wreaking vengeance on enemies is a little stale. Sang Yu does what most reasonable people would do if they woke up (or in his case, fell asleep) with superpowers; he makes money. And even though his first priority is himself, he is neither selfish nor particularly careless. He isn’t a hero, a villain or even an antihero; he’s just a person.

The lead role was excellently played by Darren Wang. I appreciate the portrayal of his friendship with San, which had a natural and rather touching development. Unfortunately, this film fell short of Sang Yu’s relationship with Hua’er. In this day and age, I don’t expect to still see blatant stalking framed as a grand romantic gesture. And though Hua’er was given some personality, she still comes off as a manic pixie dream girl. As the only female main character in the film, the moviemakers could have really done better.

The Visuals

You can tell that this film had a big budget for visuals. The CGI was very realistic and better than a lot of contemporary Western fantasy superhero films. Personally, I think the set and prop design stole the show. There were a lot of props in this film, considering that the main character is a supernatural antique thief. It’s impressive that the props were so well-made despite the sheer number of them. I also really liked Sang Yu’s visual transition from a degenerate starving artist to a clean-cut man in a suit. I was honestly surprised to see a handsome face hiding behind the straggly beard, chunky glasses and greasy hair. Props to the makeup and department.

The only major visual flaw I noticed was the very last scene. Unlike the rest of the movie, Sang Yu looked like a cardboard cut-out against a green-screen background. The editing was clearly rushed at the end.

All in All,

This is a good weekend watch if you like fantasy, good visuals and fight scenes. The execution of the story left something to be desired, but the premise is good enough to have you watch till the end.

Also Read: Netflix Hidden Gems: Subira

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The film was a box office success and received critical acclaim in India, but we at Big Picture Film Club think it deserves a little more love internationally. Mild spoilers ahead;

The Story and Characters

There’s an old saying; nothing is new under the sun. Contemporary film is littered with remakes and retellings of old stories. Now, this is one of the very few times when I can say this; I have never seen this story told before.

The film begins with a young boy planting a mango seed. He digs it up to check on it multiple times and is frutrated that it won’t sprout. Cut to the present day. Pradeep is a young man who spends his savings to buy his girlfriend, Nikitha, a new smartphone. He waxes poetic about how close they are and how they know everything about each other. Due to the social stigma around dating, Nikitha lies to her strict father about where she got the phone.

Unfortunately, her father still finds out. Pradeep has to formally introduce himself to Nikitha’s father as a suitor for marriage. The old man shocks them with a strange condition; he will allow them to marry only if they exchange phones for a day. Their seemingly perfect relationship begins to fall apart at the seams as both their secrets come to light. Then, an unexpected third party throws a wrench into the already collapsing structure.

The Characters

The characters were all multi-dimensional and it was enjoyable to peel back each layer as the film progressed. No one was exactly whom they seemed to be. I applaud the moving subplot and stellar acting from the entire cast. Personally, I did not appreciate the focus on Nikitha’s purity. The moment that this sexual “purity” came into question, her community cast her to the dogs. Her reputation only survived once the accusation was proved to be false. On the other hand, most of Pradeep’s questionable behaviour was swept aside. The film holds women to the same impossible standards as hundreds of years ago.

The Visuals and Sound

The special effects in this film are impeccable. This is clear from the opening scene which shows each step of a smartphone being manufactured from with beautiful clarity. There was good visual storytelling, like the scene of the boy (later revealed to be Pradeep) planting a mango seed. The symbolism stood out to me. Nothing can truly grow, whether a seed or love, unless you leave it alone and trust that it will sprout. A lot of effort was taken to build up to the main story, even with a modest budget.

I appreciated the combination of more traditional shots, like the warm scenes of the couple sitting side-by-side on the beach, with the contemporary scenes of face timing, conference calls and scrolling through apps. The film featured mostly traditional Indian sounds complimented by techno-beats whenever the momentum picked up.

Before I Blab on for Too Long,

Pick up the remote and try this memorable rom-com. With heavy themes of gender roles, social expectations and just how dangerous (or liberating) technology can really be, the moral conclusions of this movie are up for debate. However, the high production quality cannot be denied and the comedic aspects are easy to appreciate. To the viewer, it really begs the question; how well do you really know the people you love?

Also Read: Netflix Hidden Gems: The Girl in the Yellow Jumper

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