sanamer Reviews

The Painting Pool (2013)

beautifully made movie about a less spoken topic that is mot rare if we dig into deeper layers

[9/10 · 4 December 2021]

Painting Pool is a delicate movie with multiple layers. On the surface, it shows the simple happy, yet very challenging life of a couple with some mental disabilities. Frustration of their ten-year old son about disabilities of his parents adds to the complications. The movie carefully shows how the lower and middle classes of the society suffer from consequences of international political power struggles and how while the resulting pressures affect relationships of normal couples, the main two adult characters, despite their disabilities, very maturely keep supporting each other. They are well aware of their disabilities, have accepted themselves and each other as they are, and have come to peace with it in their social life. Later into the movie we realize that a deep understanding of a very simple cliche advice that someone has given them on their wedding day and its daily practice in their life is one main reason behind their mature healthy relationship.

At a more hidden layer I believe the movie is not just about the challenges of mentally different people rather, it shows the complications that families face when parents are not enough for children, one way or another. They could be mentally different and poor in a society that is breaking apart, or can be well-educated immigrants with more than enough income, but an accent that causes their children feel embarrassed to present them as parents. The frustration and loneliness of the kids and frustrations, sadness, and heartbreak of the parents are very nicely shown in the movie. Despite all the complications and frustrations, emotional bounds are there; they miss each other and get worried for each other while they try to find peace in their hearts...

In my opinion Maziar Miri has done a great job. The cast plays very well, and in particular Negar Javaherian shines with her very natural believable attractive performance.

Manifest (2018–2023)

Pure waste of time

[1/10 · 26 June 2021]

Combine Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars and add a really weak touch of Lost to it. The product would be Manifest.

The Warden (2019)

Hats off - a great combination of art and technique.

[10/10 · 18 June 2021]

This movie was beyond my expectations - in fact, IMHO it is one of the best movies in the history of Iranian cinema. Everything is just great. The story is pretty complex at multiple levels, but the narrative makes very attractive; simple to follow and easy to absorb by covering the right amount of details and the right sequence of the events. And importantly, no dragging in answering the questions it raises and no open ending! On the contrary, the ending is solid and very well-presented. Choice of actors is really good. Izadyar and Mohammadzadeh deliver great chemistry. Performanes are really good - Navid Mohammadzadeh truly shines. I consider his performance among the best performances I have ever seen in the Iranian cinema. Izadyar plays well and her dress is well designed too. Music is really good and used precisely where it must be used. Overall, the movie has all the elements of a great drama and a great movie. Kudos to the story/script writers, director, actors, and all others who participated in producing such an enjoyable well-made watch - real art with no exaggeration; deep psychology, no show-offs; just an very pleasant and shockingly attractive combination of art and skills. A movie to remember. Congrats to the talented group!

The Good Wife (2009–2016)

Great series from multiple aspects - had a real impact on my personal life

[9/10 · 14 May 2021]

The name doesn't do the justice for this series. I am glad that without knowing its name I watched one episode on TV while ironing my cloths, and searched to see what it was. IMO the love triangle is a great additive to make viewers follow all the important issues including (but not limited to) politics and the need for new rules about the ever growing technology that is affecting our daily lives and is clearly becoming more and more serious every day.

In addition to the general topics, this series had a real impact on my life. As an immigrant living alone and dealing with a divorce issue a few years back, finding this movie was a miracle for me as it helped me understand how the judicial system works and adjust the dynamics of my relationship with my lawyer, my ex, and all the legal issues that were so strange and unknown to me back then. I was lucky to find this series exactly when I needed it.

Never Look Away (2018)

Must see!

[10/10 · 14 May 2021]

Exquisite is the only word I can find to describe this movie. Everything is as it must be. An astonishing mixture of getting one emotional, dig deep in soul, and at the same time remain alert and analytical about the events and the horror happening to the individuals of different ages and at different levels of the society. The psychology, history, art, and everything in this movie, including its music has created an amazing poem about war, crime, pain, and creation.

Bridgerton (2020– )

Nothin makes sense

[1/10 · 14 May 2021]

The ingredients of this series do not merge at all and the end product is neither tasty nor nutritious.

Don't expect to watch something relatable. It is more of a fantasy series and in my opinion a really weak one. If there is something deserving that one star, it is only the handsomeness of the actors and actresses, not even their performance. I am not exaggerating saying that I wouldn't be surprised if one of them would bring their smart phone or tablet out to search for sex-related questions or digging into the roots of certain behavioural issues.

I do expect pop movies and series to be on the dreamy side, but they must make sense. This story could have happened in a contemporary time. Dresses and the decor depict the old times but the story tries to touch every modern issue, from racism and sexism, to mental health issues and their roots, to the controversial issue of sex education, and so on. Meanwhile, in such an advanced and modern society, it is okay for 16 year old girls to need Queen's approval to be presented to the society and get married at that age.

Pure waste of time, power, and your internet bandwidth!

Searing Summer (2017)

Well made and engaging

[7/10 · 14 May 2021]

I enjoyed watching this movie and would have given it 7.5/10. Suspension felt in the storyline reminds me of Farhadi's works, in particular About Elli and 4-shanbe Soory. However, a big difference here is that this movie does not have an open ending nor makes the audience guess or judge anyone and anything.

The story flows smoothly and is engaging. In a very believable way it depicts a natural flow of events that each of us can see happening around us. The story avoids making the audience emotional; on the contrary, seems it deliberately tries keeping one's brain work and analyze the situation, without the need to judge any of the characters.

Performances are very natural. The cast present a great work, but in particular I like Izadyar's natural performance.

I Want to Live (2021– )

No original story line - a really bad copy of Shahrzad

[5/10 · 12 May 2021]

I gave it 5 stars because of the great end music (Homayoun Shajarian) and because of the cast (Dowlatshahi, Behdad, Karim, Sharifi, and, great performance of a few other actors like the character of Amoo Aslan). Otherwise, it wouldn't get even one star, because one main element of originality is completely missing. It is a copy and not even a half-smart one! It is a blunt copy! It has quite all elements of Shahrzad series. One can find a direct mapping among the main characters of the two. In addition, beyond the love triangle, other elements like the political mafia as well as the gang of drug dealers emphasize on lack of creativity of the script writer and director. Over all, I'd say it is a waste of time, unless one wants to enjoy the actors and actresses, and maybe if one misses Iran of 1980's.

Home for Christmas (2019–2020)

Just the right choice of light happy, yet valuable watch for the season.

[8/10 · 20 December 2020]

Normally I would have given it 7/10, but watching it in the xmas spirit, and in particular compared with most of the American garbage xmas movies and series, I increased the rating to 8. As someone from a non-Christian culture, I truly enjoyed watching the original, traditional warmth that I felt in this series as compared with all the commercial fake xmas I feel in the North America. As someone who has never bern able to relate to the North American style xmas celebration, I have to admit this series gave me the cozy warm feeling I have always felt since childhood in our new year celebrations... The warmth of something traditional and way way more original than just pushing people to go to the mall. In this sense, I really loved this series.

In addition, I also appreciate it very much that unlike the mainstream North American series and movies (especially the Christmas ones) that keep emphasizing on how sad and needy and incomplete single women above a certain age are and they'd be happy only upon clinging to a man, this one tries to show that a woman, as is, is enough for herself and must not let all the social pressure and family expectations push her to settle on something that doesn't make her happy. I love how it shows that Johanna, despite all her doubts in herself, all her ups and downs, all her occasional bending when it comes to family pressure, does not settle for something less than what she deserves. I love her very normal realistic character, having her weak moments, melt downs, relying on friends and family at times of need, but at the same time being an independent reliable person in the lives of her family, friends, colleagues, and her patients. I love that despite all the occasional moments of feeling weak or like a loser, she eventually uses her support network to dry her tears and goes back on her feet. It is sooooo like the opposite of the American mainstream garbage advertises. I love how in the first episode it emphasizes how single people are ignored by all the commercial culture (no xmas set edition of pyjamas for singles, just couples and family).

Moreover, I also enjoyed the very real sense of humour and sensible jokes in the series.

All in all, nothing very deep or extraordinary, but a great light happy "right" choice for Christmas season, especially a Christmas like this one with all the COVID-related restrictions.

Breath (2016)

Must see. Great pro-life, anti-war movie

[9/10 · 2 December 2017]

I have read a lot of criticism about this movie. Some seem to believe it is part of the Iran's governmental propaganda. I do not find it a fair view. I wish we all could forget about "who said" and focus on "what was said". In this sense, regardless of who has funded the movie, you might like Nafas, because it truly reflects the effect of revolution and war on the life and dreams of a very ordinary, but creative, imaginative, and smart kid. If you liked movies such as "Amelie", "The legend of 1900", and "In this corner of the world", you might find some of the finest elements of these movies in Nafas (the Breath). In none of those three movies one could find a rigid core for the story. They were simply reports. Reports about lives and dreams of common people through their day to day lives and thoughts. And I find them quite successful movies, not only because of the awards they won, but more because of the fantastic feeling, and view they gave me. To me, this movie, Nafas, is an anti war movie. A movie which shows how big political shifts can ruin the dreams of a generation. A totally lovable, talented generation. I can watch Nafas over and over (like the other three movies). I also have to congratulate the cast of the movie, for their brilliant plays. Well done!

The Green House (1996– )

An influential, unforgettable TV series

[10/10 · 29 September 2012]

This is one of the best TV series I've ever watched. I watched it when I was an early teenager and I still carry many of the deep concepts that these series introduced to me. The concepts that I thought about again and again as I grew up, and had a great influence in my life and in making my decisions. I highly respect Bijan Birang and Masoud Rassam for their nice and hugely influential efforts. I also liked the cast of these series. Great actors and actresses, whose art in combination with the expectations and guidelines of the directors of the series resulted in such a memorable TV show. The angel through which these series open to us in looking into different aspects of life, either our small daily problems or big unanswerable questions in life is very unique (and to me missing) in today's world. It is not like those complicated intellectual abstract view points that sound beautiful only in theory, but of no help in practice. I think what they impose us to, through their simple stories, is the result of a lot of experiences and thoughts and analysis of them, coming out of healthy souls, that is generously shared with the viewer.