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Reviews
Baran (2001)
Timely and Beautiful
I saw this film at a sneak last week. This is a film by Majidi Majidi the amazing Iranian director who's last film was "The Color of Paradise." At its center "Baran" is a love story that is about that most romantic of loves - the unrequited kind. What makes the film so timely is that in involves an Iranian who is in love with an Afghanistan illegal immigrant. The performers are non-pros and the effect this has upon the viewer is close to documentary in nature. We become involved in the Afghan culture in a very real and immediate way.
In the Bedroom (2001)
Not a false note throughout.
I saw this film at a screening in mid-town last week. Most of the film's effectiveness comes from the director's and cast's trust in the audience's intelligence. The story is impossible to describe without being reductive or misleading. Perhaps this is because our only point of reference in terms of "Plot," are other films that are not nearly as refined and effective. Somehow this film transcends its own medium, leaving you with the feeling you've read a fantastic novel as you walk home, rather than a movie dealing with life as it is typically portrayed in movies.