A MOMENT OF INNOCENCE —**1/2 — Mirhadi Tayebi, Ammar Tafti, Ali Bakhshi, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Marjam Mohamadamini, Moharram Zaynalzadeh; in Farsi, with English subtitles; not rated, probable G (nothing offensive); exclusively at the Tower Theatre.
THE SILENCE —**1/2 — Tahmineh Normativa, Nadereh Abdelahyeva, Goibibi Ziadolahyeva; in Farsi, with English subtitles; not rated, probable G (nothing offensive); exclusively at the Tower Theatre.
It's all a matter of perspective in cinema. What might seem like tedious navel-gazing to one person might be a fascinating character study to another.
So it is with one current craze in international cinema: that of "neo-realism," a style of filmmaking that often leads to improvised storylines, seemingly amateurish performances and other quirks that can be as off-putting as they are refreshing.
And leading the charge of "neo-realism" in Iran is Mohsen Makhmalbaf, a veteran director responsible for the perplexingly beautiful fantasy "Gabbeh." Two of his other recent films are playing at the Tower Theatre this weekend:
THE WHOLE FILM-WITHIN-A-FILM idea has been done to death in international cinema, but "A Moment of Innocence" nearly manages to breathe new life into the concept.
That's not to say it's completely original, but Makhmalbaf's "is-it-real-or-isn't-it?" drama does throw in a few interesting new wrinkles.
The premise is that the director wants to re-enact one of the pivotal moments in his life: a 1974 incident in which he stabbed a police officer and took his gun — a crime for which he spent five years in prison.
Joining him as co-director on the project is Mirhadi Tayebi, the officer he stabbed. But the two men immediately butt heads over casting and other matters.
The film is at its best when it explores the same events from different perspectives (Makhmalbaf and Tayebi's), and the mostly amateur cast acquits itself nicely, especially Tayebi and Ammar Tafti, who plays the actor portraying him.
But there are also a handful of dialogue-heavy scenes that go on far too long and which have little impact on the "storyline."
"A Moment of Innocence" is not rated but would probably receive a G. Running time: 78 minutes.
IT MIGHT SEEM IRONIC for a film featuring so much musical content to be called "The Silence," but there's a perfectly good reason for the title of this odd 1998 drama.
In fact, the film's most telling (and seemingly crucial) moments are those that don't feature any sounds, music or dialogue. At other times, though, it meanders horribly and lacks any real cohesion.
The story revolves around Khorshid (Tahmineh Normativa), a 10-year-old blind boy living in Azerbaijan. He and his mother have been living in poverty since his father left for Russia. To pay the rent, the boy has been forced to take a job tuning musical instruments.
But he's quickly distracted by a pretty voice and melody and is often late for work — which has him skating on thin ice with his boss, who threatens to can the boy after he blows off work to follow a nomadic herdsman/musician.
There's a kernel of a good story here, but too often the movie get sidetracked by subplots that don't go anywhere, and there's no real sense of resolution here.
However, Normativa is convincing, especially for a newcomer, and young Nadereh Abdelahyeva is spellbinding as one of his co-workers.
"The Silence" is not rated but would probably receive a G. Running time: 76 minutes.
You can reach Jeff Vice by e-mail at jeff@desnews.com