ABOUT ELLY
This was something I viewed at the 2010 Wisconsin International Film Festival. If you take a look at the film festival program it's a little overwhelming to decide which films to see... there are some obvious candidates... I usually keep my eyes peeled for an obscure director, unique film style, or something from a country that I'm not familiar with, but then you kind of just have to pick what fits into your schedule and seems intriguing. There wasn't a lot regarding About Elly, only that it was an Iranian movie and it involves the repercussions of a mysterious tragedy. Good enough for me.
The twist on this naturalistic film is how the cultural elements of Iran aren't commented on directly, yet shape the suspense and motivations of the characters in ways that enhance a story that could be very conventional and unmemorable if placed in a more common Western setting. It begins very organically with patient scenes of a set of young families and couples going on a beach vacation. Once again, a foreign film really seems to display a very straightforward depiction of people having a good time, and I would hope these depictions would make casual audiences identify with the global world more, especially with the bravado in which we threaten some of these countries with military might. But after settling us into what might be an understated drama, the aforementioned tragedy strikes, and slowly there are issues that are brought to the tension that are unique to the society of this country. It doesn't make the story alienating at all, but rather these norms subtly shape the action, as the hope for happiness is dangled and withdrawn, with an ultimately poignant finale that offers no easy answers.
It's the perfect kind of film festival discovery in that it is something unique and special, the viewing experience enhanced by the possibility that other than a few small audiences in small festival venues, a powerful film like this might not be exposed to as many people as it deserves. While in many respects About Elly doesn't hold a candle to the grander acclaimed cinema out there it's also wholly unforgetable.
The twist on this naturalistic film is how the cultural elements of Iran aren't commented on directly, yet shape the suspense and motivations of the characters in ways that enhance a story that could be very conventional and unmemorable if placed in a more common Western setting. It begins very organically with patient scenes of a set of young families and couples going on a beach vacation. Once again, a foreign film really seems to display a very straightforward depiction of people having a good time, and I would hope these depictions would make casual audiences identify with the global world more, especially with the bravado in which we threaten some of these countries with military might. But after settling us into what might be an understated drama, the aforementioned tragedy strikes, and slowly there are issues that are brought to the tension that are unique to the society of this country. It doesn't make the story alienating at all, but rather these norms subtly shape the action, as the hope for happiness is dangled and withdrawn, with an ultimately poignant finale that offers no easy answers.
It's the perfect kind of film festival discovery in that it is something unique and special, the viewing experience enhanced by the possibility that other than a few small audiences in small festival venues, a powerful film like this might not be exposed to as many people as it deserves. While in many respects About Elly doesn't hold a candle to the grander acclaimed cinema out there it's also wholly unforgetable.
No comments:
Post a Comment