Life is like a day
This is no longer a family of merchants, as in the first film by Said Rustai “Life and a Day”. This is a family from a large and not the poorest clan Zhurablu. But the new family is not much different from those drug dealers: they constantly quarrel, fight, insult and humiliate each other, which is the main content of the film. Old Ismail has four sons, they are already 40-50 years old, but they, judging by the name, are not so much the sons of Ismail as the brothers of Leila. This female figure becomes a synthesis of the two heroines of Life and a Day - she absorbs the anger of her namesake, combined with the desire of the meeker Somaye to make everyone happy. And now Leyla persistently, to violate decency and moral principles, tries to do good to all her relatives. She wants them all to become a rich and happy family, in general, takes on the role of the head of the family. Yes, this film is a beautiful direction, excellent acting, the unexpected appearance of Peyman Moadi in the role of the blind adventurer Manucher, skillful combination of fleeting fun with an abyss of tragedy, not allowing the picture to completely fall into a household quagmire. But the center of gravity, as can be seen from the title (the French translation of the name is even more eloquent – “Leyla and her brothers”), is too shifted towards Leyla, which, combined with the anger of the character, creates a too pressing impression – what is at least a scene where she slaps a weak father. Farad (only he is one of the brothers) was to restrain his sister, but the viewer understands that he will not do anything against the self-styled head of the family. The filmmakers are encouraging similar "feminism" in patriarchal Iran - the director says Leyla is sacrificing her personal life for her family, and actress Tarane Alidosti calls Leyla a "mother figure" for her brothers.
But Layla and her brothers are not doing well. They are not lucky either alone or together - a stumbling block and the engine of the plot becomes a shortage of store opening about a third of the necessary amount, which Leila is trying to get from her father. An attentive viewer will see some ability to do business except for Leyla herself and her brother Alireza, who still with grief are somehow moving towards the desired goal. But what causes failures? Because of family squabbles? Such a conclusion would be instructive, but no. Money skillfully bypass family quarrels and burn the next hands and soul stronger than insults. It’s all about “this country” unloved by Trump and sanctioned. The director explains in an interview that no matter what decisions people make, the “reality” will be stronger, and tells how “in Iran, prices triple overnight.”
In this light, everything seen is just a gallery of characters who want fame and wealth, and only a reasonable Alireza becomes a scapegoat for someone’s unquenched thirst. Parviz’s pleasure in appointing him “vice president,” Farad’s glare at the sounds of the payment terminal, Isamil’s joy at being recognized as an elder of his family, the proud look of an old man at the price of 50 gold coins, Manucher’s open mouth at a frozen glance at a rich beauty, reasoning about the good life of the know-it-all Layla. If those wishes don't come true, who will be to blame - Trump's tweet? What a vulgar conclusion Said Rustai offers us, refusing to look at the root of the problem – our unclean and envious hearts.
4 out of 10
Original