As Simple As That

Running time: 97 mins

Don't look now, but one of the world's great national cinemas just got even better!

Two years ago, a quiet revolution in Iranian cinema occurred with the appearance of Asghar Farhadi's remarkable Fireworks Wednesday, which juxtaposed a failing marriage against a young house worker's clever idealism in a film that not only won multiple awards worldwide but also proved a huge box-office hit at home. With Seyyed Reza Mir-Karimi's As Simple as That, the revolution continues. We share one day in the life of Taraneh, a Tehran housewife whose badgering children, oblivious husband, and needy neighbors are all quick to make demands, but give nothing in return. Filled with both pathos and humor, and with a beautifully restrained performance by Hengameh Ghaziami, this hugely entertaining, satisfying film, hailed by the Thessaloniki Film Festival as a "breakthrough in ... Iranian cinema," was grand prizewinner at this year's Moscow Film Festival.

--Charlie Cockey