A Hero, 2021.
Written and Directed by Asghar Farhadi.
Starring Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabande, Fereshteh Sadr Orafaee, Sahar Goldust, Maryam Shahdaie, Ali Reza Jahandideh, Ehsan Goodarzi, Sarina Farhadi, Farrokh Nourbakht, Mohammad Aghebati, and Saleh Karimai.
SYNOPSIS:
Rahim is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum. But things don’t go as planned.
They say no good deed goes unpunished, but for Rahim (an engrossing Amir Jadidi at a crossroads between familial duty and honor, and slight deception that spirals out of control), his good deed in two-time Oscar-winning writer and director Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero is nothing but punished. Granted, there is some sly behavior behind it. Allowed out of jail for a brief two-day period, Rahim has a plan to pay off his debt and be free once and for all, which is meeting up with his secret girlfriend Farkhondeh (Sahar Goldust), who has stumbled across someone’s lost purse containing 17 gold coins. The thinking is that the money could be used to pay off creditor Bahram (Mohsen Tanabandeh), a man that indeed hangs onto a grudge and doesn’t seem willing to give Rahim any more chances.
Unfortunately, the value of the coins turn out to be less than anticipated, which is also fine since Rahim was having second thoughts about the morality behind that action. Or maybe he wasn’t. After all, this is a hangdog sad sap who his ex-wife’s family seems hesitant to trust when he proclaims he will start working again to provide for his speech impediment saddled son Slavish (Saleh Karimai). When Rahin purchases newspaper ad space and lists the prison number as a contact for the rightful owner of the purse, it’s not long before someone can describe its contents in full and is on the way to pick it up from his sister Mali’s (Maryam Shahdaie) home.
Everyone surrounding Rahim assumes this is part of a scheme, while the greater public is quick to praise on social media. Naturally, fundraiser groups and job employers take notice, spinning the situation into a remarkably positive one as long as the kindness is somehow able to pierced the unforgiving heart of Bahram. Asghar Farhadi also knows how to generate empathy for Bahram, further expressing how the fuck-ups from Rahim affected his personal life, including something near and dear to his daughter. With that said, even if he gets a job, the uncertainty of freedom hangs in the air.
This is also where A Hero ever so slightly takes on the form of a mystery regarding how the woman reclaims the purse and her damn near invisible presence in the world. As a result, various groups start poking holes and catching onto the white lie of Rahim’s version of events, with other aspects of social media firing up the rumor mill. On that note, in a cinematic landscape where filmmakers rarely know how to integrate Internet trending into a narrative without it coming across like a convenient crutch, Asghar Farhadi is aware that it’s not about how many eyes are on the ongoing story, but rather what they are saying, which side can be the loudest, and who can sway public opinion the most. Sometimes all that matters is what’s most fresh in the mind of the Internet.
To say more would be a disservice for anyone interested in watching A Hero, but it should be noted that the script doesn’t necessarily have twists. Instead, the film starts as a character study of Rahim before expanding into an all-encompassing story centered on anyone involved with the publicity, what they have to gain, or how they can save face. The same people can go from accusing Rahim of being pitied for having a bullied child who has trouble speaking, to exploiting that sympathy for personal benefit. It’s a merry-go-round of moral issues that feels as if it might never end, and considering the strength of the writing, why would anyone ever want it to? There is a glimpse into systems so broken, prying so absurd, and an Internet culture so flippy floppy that one might think twice next time before performing the smallest act of kindness. It’s sad but true. However, we do have Asghar Farhadi as a hero to cinema.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
