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Hejazifar gives Kazem a remarkable intensity, especially when he erupts after holding his anger in for so many years. This bitterness eats away at him, especially in scenes with Daryadel as his hapless father. He finds terrific rhythms with Ezati's thoughtful Yahya, cleverly played to build toward an honest confrontation. Their trip into the countryside and to a lake where they swam as children is beautiful, complete with a shattering revelation. And his close connection with goofy nephew Aydin (Noorvash) bristles with nuance.

The film is essentially an odyssey in which Kazem confronts his attitudes, dealing with the things from his past that haunt him while trying to find a way to move forward. In this sense, his romance with Dolatshahi's smart, observant Sima is almost an afterthought, which might make the film feel a bit unfinished. But the fact that she is also scarred from her life adds significant insight. What emerges is a realistic exploration of the redemption that's possible when you start dealing with your anger.

themes, language, violence

4.May.22

Bardem's performance is fiercely inventive, layering everything with a whiff of passive aggression while maintaining Blanco's soft-spoken and achingly understanding exterior. So much so that we think we're imagining the low-life thug he seems to be. This makes watching his world spiral out of control both entertaining and oddly involving, especially when he begins to blow his top. And the finely played surrounding characters are equally unflappable, facing conflicts with their own remarkable steeliness.

This is a strikingly well-made film that works simultaneously on various levels as it heads into a properly outrageous final act that's impossible to predict. Either Blanco will use his years of privilege to efficiently keep all of these balls in the air, or his entire life is about to crash down around him. And there's a deeper, more important angle to the story in the way it surgically eviscerates the chasm between the haves and the have-nots. Breathtakingly sharp, the film takes no prisoners.

themes, language, violence, sexuality

29.Nov.21

Performances are earthy and realistic, never playing up the silliness. Bjerg has likeable presence as the burly Martin, misguided and selfish but never malicious. He and Youssef nicely underplay Martin and Musa's growing friendship, which has some proper depth as they begin to confront the truth of their situations. Martin's happy home-life was suffocating him; Musa has been excluded from his due to his criminal record. Sundquist's worn-out Oyvind is sympathetic. And there are even textures of meaning for the minor side characters.

Martin's theory is that men are better off if they're alone, out hunting like their Stone Age ancestors. So while he's thrilled to stumble into an old-style viking village, he's horrified that it's actually a tourist trap. Comments from various characters touch on the fragility of masculinity, including one particularly bleak anecdote about endemic homophobia. So even with its sense of humour, where this story goes is often harsh and painful to watch. But it's also an entertaining and moving affirmation that being a man has nothing to do with ancient ideas about manliness.

themes, language, violence

2.May.22