Search - Hemlock on DVD

I would skip this one...

A. Heifetz | Darien, IL United States | 03/04/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Basically, this is the Iranian version of "Fatal Attraction". I was fascinated by the concept of temporary marriage as it is practiced in Iran by the righteous and faithful, so I rented it. This flick is a rather pedestrian effort in filmmaking, an exercise in mediocrity. The plot is full of holes, especially concerning Mahmood's friend and former boss. The actor playing Mahmood is miscast - he is not convincing as a manager/executive and definitely does not cut it as a loverboy. He would do much better playing a taxi driver, a shopkeeper, or a farmer. The actress playing Sima is also miscast - she is beautiful (even her outfits, which are unflattering to say the least, could not detract from it), but there is also something noble and dignified about her beauty that makes her unsuitable for this type of role. There is zero eroticism in the movie, zero sensuality, zero humor, zero chemistry between Mahmood and Sima, and their romance seems as cold as ice. When he proposes a temporary marriage (as a good Muslim, he could not engage in that sort of a relationship without it, as he put it), I could not believe that she actually goes along with his plan. Although other than Mahmood's proposal, I did not see any other evidence of a marriage taking place - like a ceremony, for example, or contract-signing. I kept wondering as Sima was eying Mahmood in the beginning: what in the world would a woman like Sima find in a man like Mahmood? She is way out of his league. I would skip this one. If you want to see a truly great film from Iran about obsession, get "The Willow Tree" instead."