Septembers of Shiraz (2016)

Touches You

Best movie ever!

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

I normally don't review however, after reading some of the reviews that were poor I wanted to review this. The story is a horror story of a Jewish family escaping from the horror of an oppressive thug country. Having traveled to the Middle East and miles from Iran, having friends that went through this very scenario, this movie was hard to watch. The acting was good and I was well pleased with Adrian Brody's acting as well. Knowing what life is like there, this movie was riveting to watch and well made. Life there is a horror story for anyone that is not a zealot for the religious government. It is hard to believe that life is like this anywhere in the world today living in the west. People are treated with pure terror that are not brain washed or part of those systems. The story was well told and the acting was good. Nearly a 10 rating from me having witnessed life in that part of the world. I believe this is a good movie to watch if you don't mind suspense. I am not sure if what I have written is a spoiler but marked as such just to be safe. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to see how hard life is in that part of the world. Harsh living unless you are wealthy and part of the system. If not, life is harsh at best. Jews are not likely to live at all there let alone living well today. I have a dear friend, Jewish-Persian who fled during this period and some of the depictions are spot on. Well worth watching.

I was touched by the movie even though the script was not what it could have been and some of the interactions (Farneh x Habibeh, Habibeh x Morteza) seemed too contrived and over-scripted. I am not sure whether this carried over from the novel or originated in the movie script. But the story overall is compelling and has an unmistakable feel of reality. The cruelty and moral corruption rings true and obviously is not something that comes from any particular ideology or religion. Some people in times of chaos, social upheavals or revolutions turn into animals and find all sorts of pseudo-moral excuses for being that way. Times of disorder will always invite rapine, settling of personal accounts and revolting inhumanity. Adrien Brody as Isaac and Alon Aboutboul as his jailer and interrogator were excellent. Their interaction make the film well worth while seeing.

If you are old enough to remember the brutal history of the deposing of the Shah of Iran, this movie provides a small slice of the life during this takeover. The conversion to theocracy in Iran led to draconian measures placed on its citizens and to opportunists of the supporters of the regime to enjoy personal triumph at the cost of those who had been successful in their own lives. We should not forget that Ayatollah Khomeini was the new "god" and had usurped the Shah. His ideals were not unlike a fundamentalist Taliban ideology. The demand to follow the koran and force the end of Iranian "westernization" was foremost the demand of the new regime. The fact that our protagonist is a Jewish jeweler with considerable success under the Shah led to jealous behaviour on the part of the new guard. It also portrays some heroic moments by honest Irani citizens as they help the forsaken jewller.The movie was well made and well acted. It has a very good script and that fact alone makes for a good movie. It has thrills, tension, and suspense. It is emotional as anyone watching the movie will recognize the brutality against fellow humans and remind people to be wary of dictatorships be they a Shah or a religious figure. Hatred is hatred by anyone. The movie provides a better insight into the current Iran. Watch the movie if not for the history lesson, then because it is a good movie. Above standard at any measure.

This movie is a must see for all audiences. It shows to the ones that have not lived the consequences of violence either by war or revolution to innocent people. Some people criticized the film as one that tries to pass its propaganda to the viewers. I have not seen a single element of propaganda in this film. And as I have also witnessed similar conditions and events I say that the plot though based on a novel is 100% realistic and all the facts in the film could have happened there too as historical facts are easily reachable and available to any interested party to read and find out the truth. The cast is amazing. Perfect appearances by Salma Hayek, Shohreh Aghdashloo and Adrien Brody.