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In their diverging stories, Duarte and Stockler are terrific. Euridice can only rebel within the confines of society, while Guida has been cut loose to live on her terms and to prevent her son from turning into her sexist father. So Duvivier and Fonseca are superb in difficult roles, villainous simply because they don't know any other way. And Gusmao shines as a woman who has to conceal her affection for her daughters. And then there's the incandescent Montenegro, who plays the older Euridice with grace and profound resonance.

The film has extraordinary vitality, filled with laughter and music, complex interaction and realistic sexuality. There are several stunning sequences, including one beautifully orchestrated near-miss meeting. And the sisters' yearning for each other, combined with their hopeful imaginations, is powerfully involving. So in the final coda, when the story catches up to the present day, it carries a powerfully emotional kick. And it reminds us that life is about the journey, not the destination.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

12.Oct.19 lff

Kosari delivers a fiery performance as a smart, gifted young woman unable to convince anyone around her to listen to what she says. Erupting with righteous indignation, her reactions don't help her cause, but it's impossible to imagine her simply accepting the injustice as expected. By contrast, Jadidi skilfully gives Yaser the confidence of authority, even though he knows what he's doing is heartlessly cruel. It's clear that even he doesn't believe the ridiculous lies he tells to officials, and yet he gets away with all of it.

This story may be set in country with a religious-based legal system, but it's also strikingly easy to identify with. These people are earthy and recognisable, dashing around a modern city, answering (or ignoring) text messages as they just try to get on with their lives, while inequity in the system is making things impossible. As a simple illustration of where the power lies, Beiraghi depicts Afrooz playing football with the boys on a warm evening: the men are in T-shirts and shorts, while she's wearing a headscarf, long sleeves and long sweats.

themes, language

9.Aug.19

The youthful cast members continually find underlying yearnings in scenes that range from light comedy to dark drama, by way of sometimes fantasy-style flashbacks and an extended drug trip. It's not easy to keep the characters straight, especially in the cutaways, so the various couplings (and triplings) add more texture than meaning. At the centre of the ensemble, Del Razo and Sylwin are the most memorable, with their thoughtful, almost haunted performances. And Huber has some strong moments too.

Quintero builds a remarkable atmosphere as the weekend progresses, piling a range of emotions on top of each other. Some events are momentous, and others feel rather contrived. By Monday, it seems like everyone has surely slept with everyone else, like a scrambled Midsummer Night's Teenage Dream. So in the end, it feels both prickly and warm at the same time, thankfully avoiding a neat, tidy conclusion or a big lesson that needs to be learned. Instead, where it goes rings true to the film's youthful energy.

themes, language, sexuality

21.Oct.19