COMEDY

Some replies

Bavafa: Glad you enjoyed the movie. Though it took me a long time to watch, I found the movie a humorous, relaxing and safe trip through memory lane.

Majid: Yep. you too picked up on why Javad Agha was in such deep doo doo with the authorities for allowing the film to be screened. A little more care on the director's part and those powerful messages would have been packed in a world class piece of art.

It may have been budget limitation, or it may have been censorship dodging, as you suggest. But here's what I think is most likely based on my reading of Motamed's remarks about this film: he made a few critically acclaimed movies but made no money. In a fit of artistic bitterness he decided to make a blockbuster. So he packed all the feelings he knew the populace wanted expressed in the film with small regard to artistic merit, as he felt it would go over the head of the average movie goer anyway. Counting the money he made, I'm sure he felt cathartically vindicated in his bitterness.  Some rich American directors feel the same way.

A road less traveled !

WOW!!!!

My previous comments was not at all about this movie (I just finished watching it online).

I would like to talk about this movie later on, BUT.......

Every character and every scene in this movie had a strong message!

I wonder why this was not discussed or mentioned before here in IC!

IMHO this is wayyyyy better and smarter than "Maarmoolak" and I'm amazed as how this was produced under such tight censorship in IR!

Again, IMHO, portraying it as a comedy was just a smart trick (Kalak Rashti) to get this movie past the brutal censorship in order to get their point across!   

Thansk Ari, watched it last night on-line

As an infrequent Iranian movie watcher, I really enjoyed it. It was not in the same caliber as Max but still funny and entertaining.

Mehrdad

i saw the movie and thought

i saw the movie and thought of if as average.  it had many funny moments/lines.  being a frequent traveler to iran, i don't think all the characters, as a whole, were believeable: for example, the azari guy's role in running different families' lives and slapping people around.  perhaps, he would have that role in his own family but being in such control of other people's lives (just because he's older) was not believable.  individually, the people were believable though.

the most disturbing part of the film was that despite mashallah's serious shortcomings as a human being, the westernized iranians (angelina jolie look-alike and sammy), matched him up with the poor dahati beautician.  i can only imagine that woman (who reminded me of kathy bates) to be abused for the rest of her life.  each one of the characters in the movie were likeable with the exception of mashallah.  and if mashallah didn't have the majority of the dialogue (and shouting) in the movie, i may have even liked the movie more.  i also thought the acting was great.  2.5/5 stars.

جناب آری......(-:

متأسفانه بُخل و انحصار طلبی گریبان کسانی رو گرفته که نباید و نشاید!

مگه ما خارج از کشور چندتا ناشر و کتابفروشی داریم که حالا اونهام بخوان عقاید و سلیقه های شخصی شون رو به من و شمای تشنهء خوندن و دیدن و شنیدن تحمیل کنن؟

صاحب تفکّر که «بر دامن کبریاش ننشیند گرد»، کمتر ناشری هم هست که تجارت های جنبی برای «گذراندن امورات» نداشته باشه، این وسط  کلاه  من و شما پس معرکه ست که محروم میمونیم!

متأسفانه نویسنده و خواننده در هیچ دورانی نتونستن گریبانشون رو از جنگ حیدر نعمتی واسطه ها (ناشرین و سانسورچی ها) خلاص کنن!

جناب مجید

سوال جالبی‌ را پیش آوردی. از قرار معلوم، مرحوم غلامحسین ساعدی هم از درون و هم از بیرون سانسور شده است. او چه افکاری داشت که دشمن و نا دشمن را از خود راند؟ بگو تا اگر این افکار به سر ما هم زد فوری خود سانسوری کنیم. افکار دیدی ندیدی!

آری

اتلّلو در سرزمین عجایب رو من فقط یکبار و اونهم سال ١٩٨٦ در هامبورگ دیدم، خیلی زیاد دنبال نوار و یا دی وی دی اون گشتم ولی ناموفّق!

وقتی در گالری سیحون با مسعود اسداللّهی روبرو شدم خیلی امیدوار بودم که بتونم به این نمایشنامه دسترسی پیدا کنم ولی مسعود گفت که فقط یک نسخه از اون رو داشت که به رضا فاضلی قرض داده بود و با فوت ایشون اون نوار به سرنوشت نامعلومی دچار شد، ولی قول داده که اگر تونست یک نسخه برای من تهیّه کنه.

جای تعجّبه که این اثر که در سال ١٩٨٥ در خارج از ایران نوشته و روی صحنه برده شده(١٩٨٦) چرا باید اینقدر کمیاب و حتّی نایاب باشه!

من یکبار که تو وست وود کتابفروشیها رو جستجو میکردم از یکی از ناشرین شنیدم که «متأسفانه؟» مرحوم غلامحسین ساعدی بدلیل بعضی از افکارش مورد غضب ناشرین خارج از کشور قرار گرفته و بالنّتیجه آقایون تمایلی به تجدید نشر کتاب و نمایشنامه هاش نشون نمیدن!

Ari jan, I saw Max in Fremont

I think it was screened in Iran because if I remember correctly, my relatives mentioned watching it in Iran. By the way, thanks for your blog. It is always good to read about "Farhaad Ayesh" 's movies.

Anahid

Esfand

خوشحالم که به "مارمولک" جای خود دادی. هم بسیار مورد استقبال مردم قرار گرفت و هم فیلمنامه قابل تحسینی داشت که  بر گرد تحول روحی‌ شخصیت اصلی‌ میگشت. در ضمن از سرگرم کردن مردم با زندگی‌‌های مجلّل  پرهیز کرد و داستان را در میان مردم عادی در جریان انداخت.  با اینکه به اعتقادات سنتی‌ مردم کاری نداشت و حمله ای نکرد، حیف که نظام انتقادات این فیلم را هم نتوانست تحمل کند.

I really liked Marmolak and Maks.

.

یکی‌ دو تا فیلم کمدی ایرانی‌

آتش بس

مهمان

مارمولک هم که جای خود دارد.

کلا کمدی در ایران جور دیگری است، با محدودیت‌های که وجود دارد الان تو دورهٔ لرل و هاردی هستیم، بیشتر کمدی کتک کاری! 

Everything is sacred

مجید

قسمت کوتاهی‌ از "اتللو در سرزمین عجایب" را در وسط این صفحه دیدم. راست میگه بابا سانسور هم مکافاتیست! تراژدی را تبدیل به کمدی می‌کند. و اگر از اول قصد کمدی باشد دیگه بد تر. چون طنز همیشه بر لبه بیمزگی مثل بندباز تلو تلو می‌خورد با کوچکترین حالگیری از نویسنده اثر از شوخی‌ به فاجعه می‌افتد. 

اتلّلو در سرزمین عجایب

کاریست قدیمی از مسعود اسدالّلهی که با طنزی بسیار قوی نشون میده که چرا یک اثر کمدی بدردبخور نمیتونه در ایران فعلی خلق بشه!

کسی اون رو دیده؟

I saw Super Star

And that was OK. Watchable.Cease fire could have been really good but just took a wrong turn. I just don't know what it is about Iranian directors that are not able to make a proper comedy/romantic comedies. I think some of it must have to do with restrictions, yet still the acting and story line lags something...

I have attempted to watch a few other movies, but the sound of screaming in most of them, the way they talk, gets me out of the mood and I turn them off. The only pop movie that was decent was "democracy in the daylight" Demokrasi tu ruze roshan. It wasn't bad.

I will try this:)

Enjoyed your last couple of stories very much. you have a great talent in writing.

Happy Wednesday

Abarmard

It seems the pop psychology "self help" formula really works for the Iranian romantic comedy box office. This was  first discovered by Tahmineh Milani in Ceasefire (also starring Mahnaz Afshar).  Here's my review of that film. What Poopak has done which is original is apply the formula to a traditional man, instead of keeping it just between the Westernized upper class.

Interestingly, we (a group of Iranians) saw Ceasfire with an American anthropology professor who thought the pop psychology theme was tongue in cheek, while we insisted Milani was taking it seriously as a way to instruct Iranian society. After watching Milani talk about the film the American professor admitted to losing the bet and gained considerable trust in Iranians being able to understand their own films better than American  "Iran experts."

Thanks Ari

Some Iranian movies are extremely hard to watch for me, specially comedy. I believe the Iranian directors lack proper either rights, or experience (or both) to truly produce a decent comedy. Would you then recommend this movie as a

1-below average

2-average

3- above average

in comparison to Western comedies? I would watch it if it is worth seeing. 

Thanks for your input.

Thanks Ari

I'd seen that movie. I found it very objective and realistic . Beside from being a good comedy, it was very close to the reality of today's life in Iran. Everything, from religious belief, to the fanaticism and DVD dealers and online discussion......I think it was a very honest projection of the daily life in Iran.

Thanks for sharing your views.

The good behavior of the people, warms our heart and make us thankful.....  And the bad ones, just make us to recognize and appreciate the good ones!