A pulpy page-tuner with strong writing and accomplished acting
from Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and the rest of the ensemble
Class struggle here is real- history—right up Farhadi’s alley
even if in another country and language—everyone has baggage
Cruz’s husband is religious and that plays a small part as well
They do a good job of making every actor look tired—exhausted—works
well
Nice clock tower scene
It’s a moral maze and mouse-trap—Farhadi but it’s also a
fascinating “who-done-it” almost like a Gosford
Park film with many suspects under the same roof. Farhadi does seem to
forget the kidnapped girl entirely for long stretches
The fallout and ultimate antagonist feels weak—a minor
character, unsupported by the rest of the film and random—it’ll be interesting
to see if it stays in the archives but for now there’s enough
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