One of our greatest filmmakers plays the hits with A Hero, the latest from writer/director Asghar Farhadi.
The film follows Rahim as he navigates a two-day leave from prison where he’s been sent for unpaid debts. In this time Rahim tries to squirm his way out of the situation through some questionable methods, which could reflect badly not only on himself but his already burdened family.
To say the premise circles around familiar themes for Farhadi would be an understatement, as many of his films center on complex moral questions and how they affect families. His best-known film, A Separation, was about the questionable decisions of a couple as their conflicting priorities push them apart. That one is a masterpiece (if you haven’t seen it, I can’t recommend it highly enough), and the rest of his films aren’t far off those themes or that quality level.
A Hero seems to be cut from the same cloth, including early signs that it’s keeping up his acclaimed streak with a Grand Prix win at the Cannes Film Festival. The film has also been announced as Iran’s submission to the Oscar International Feature category, the fifth time one of Farhadi’s films has been submitted.
The film should provide a meaty role for Amir Jadidi as Rahim, with Mohsen Tanabandeh, Sarina Farhadi, and Fereshteh Sadr Orafaie co-starring.
So expect a morally complex story from this film, but the moral of this article is simple: check this one out as soon as you can.
A Hero is directed by Asghar Farhadi and stars Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Sarina Farhadi, and Fereshteh Sadr Orafaie. It will be released in the US theatrically on January 7th, 2022 and on Amazon Prime January 21st. For international release dates, click here.
Will you check this one out (aka did you learn your lesson)? Let us know in the comments!
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