Fireworks Wednesday

Iran 2006

Dir: Asghar Farhadi

98 mins  Subtitled

Cast: Taraneh Alidoosti, Hedye Tehrani, Hamid Farocknezhad

Rating: M

Few Iranian films have tried to realistically depict both the urban middle and lower classes, and fewer still with the complexity of story telling and depth of characterization in Asghar Farhadi’s impressive third feature, Fireworks Wednesday.  Co-scripted by Farhadi with director Mani Haghighi (Men at Work), this beautifully paced drama about marital infidelity, seen through the eyes of a young housemaid about to get married, is psychologically intricate and dramatically engrossing. It could prove a break-through film for Farhadi, whose Dance in the Dust and “Beautiful City” have prepared the way to international arthouse auds.

As this sophisticated work demonstrates, Iranian cinema has matured into far different genres than the quasi-documentaries about children and movie-making for which it is widely known. Though not overtly concerned with social issues, Fireworks Wednesday breathes the class gap in Iranian society into almost every upstairs/downstairs scene, with an unexpected ending that reinforces the divide.

Title refers to the Iranian New Year’s holiday, Chahar Shanbeh Suri, when tradition calls for people to hide behind walls and listen to passing conversations that are supposed to reveal whether their wishes will come true. The film, set on the previous day, is less about wishing than spying. ...

Deborah Young, Variety