This post is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every other week.
PLOT: The mysterious disappearance of a kindergarten teacher during a picnic in Northern Iran is followed by a series of misadventures for her fellow travelers. – IMDB
MEMORABLE MOMENT: The party of vacationers are thrown into a panic when they realize that one of their sons is drowning. Several of the men risk their lives to swim out into the violent ocean and rescue the boy. The father succumbs to panic as he watches them try to resuscitate his son.
From there things only get worse.
THE IDEAL AUDIENCE: About Elly is definitely a thriller, there is no doubt about that. However, it’s a thriller based on dialogue and social conflict rather than violence. No one gets shot and no one climbs onto the roof of trains. The cast of characters are trying to avoid scandal and public embarrassment rather than psychopaths or assassins. These potential outcomes often feel considerably more threatening because they are consequences we can all relate to.
The film does start off at a slow boil. The first forty minutes feels more like a light family drama. There is minimal foreshadowing of what is to come. Also, there are a lot of characters who are all introduced at once. Their names and relationships can be confusing for those of us relying on subtitles (I will argue that subtitles are superior to dubbing until my dying day but they do provide us with less information, so details often go over our heads). However, once the film gets going it never lets up until it becomes more tense than most American action movies.
Fans of Hitchhock and early Christopher Nolan should definitely check this film out. Because of the family vacation-setting it also reminded me a little of Your Next, but About Elly is considerably less bloody or funny. Overall, I would suggest this film for viewers who are looking for a thriller that doesn’t rely on violence or gore to maintain its tension.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?: About Elly is the sort of film you could probably borrow for free at your local library. It is also available on Netflix DVD. You can also buy it from Amazon for $19.22.
RUNTIME: 119 Minutes
DIRECTOR: Asghar Farhadi
SCREENPLAY: Asghar Farhadi
Azad Jafarian (Story)
STARING: Golshifteh Farahani
