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Today, 09 February 2010

› Strike three, Mr President

› Cooked head discovered

› Zuma apology 'unwelcome'

› 'Illegal' traps blasted

› Madiba to grace Parliament

Yesterday, 08 February 2010

› No credit to FW - Zuma

› Zapiro revives showerhead

› 'Our president has failed'

› Praise for Amla

› 'Zuma should be forgiven'

Directed by Babak Payami, this Iranian film is a gentle tale built on a simple premise. And if you see mainly Western movies, it’ll also be one of the most unusual films you’re likely to see this year.

It’s election day and everyone has to vote, according to the zealous election agent (Nassim Abdi). She’s an educated, practical woman who doesn’t think twice about giving orders — even though most of the people she encounters are unused to seeing a woman in a position of responsibility.

Her first challenge is to gain the confidence of the reluctant soldier (Cyrus Ab)she’s supposed to work with, who makes it clear he’s unhappy about taking orders from her and is rather dubious about the whole idea of voting. Nevertheless, he ends up driving her around the island and together they end up in situations both likely and unlikely.

Filmmaker Payami directs this film with a loving touch. He’s found of long, lingering shots and pans that emphasise the island’s remoteness and the characters’ isolation. When the two find their first voter, I felt a jolt of surprise that anyone else should be living on the island.

It is perhaps a little too slow-moving; a good fifteen minutes to half-an-hour could have been trimmed without losing any of the film’s impact, but it’s certainly rewarding for those who hang in there.

And although Payami and his screenwriter Babak Karimi have an ear for ideological juxtapositions and investigate very real social concerns, they never lose a sense of compassion for their characters. No one is demonised or caricatured, because everyone is human.

And that’s the most compelling argument for democracy any film can offer.

For more information, visit the film's official site: http://www.sonyclassics.com/secretballot/Splash.html

What the international critics are saying:

"... a mosaic that adds a shot of offbeat comedy to the lyrical grace of Iran's serene cinema."
— Sean Axmaker, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

"A beguiling, slow-moving parable about the collision of past and present on a remote seacoast in Iran."
— Ray Conlogue, GLOBE AND MAIL

"A gem, captured in the unhurried, low-key style favored by many directors of the Iranian new wave."
— Patrick Z. McGavin, CHICAGO TRIBUNE

"Too slow, too long and too little happens."
— Steve Rhodes, STEVE RHODES' INTERNET REVIEWS