A group of middle class Iranian friends head to the beach for the weekend. Invited along is Elly (Taraneh Alidooshi), the nursery school teacher of one of the young children. But the relaxed spirits and fun filled atmosphere soon take a turn when one of the children nearly drowns and Elly goes missing. The families turns on themselves as blame and recriminations fly. And then Elly's fiancé turns up demanding answers. Much of the film's dialogue seems improvised, which gives it an unforced and natural feel. Banned in Iran, this is a deceptively simple enough film on the surface. But like most films emerging from Iran, About Elly contains a wonderful subtext that explores the divisive nature and repressive political structure of contemporary Iran, and the film is especially critical of its social strictures that deny women rights and an opportunity to have a say in their own lives. Director Asghar Farhadi's use of hand held cameras brings a sense of urgency and tension to key scenes. The ending is nicely ambiguous, leaving audiences to make up their own minds as to Elly's fate.
Review of About Elly
