I ran out to see “It Was Just an Accident” (oddly, in French, "Un Simple Accident"), for fear it wouldn’t stay long in theaters, as is the fate of most Iranian films.
It’s the new film by Jafar Panahi, winner of the Palme d’Or. It’s a bit reminiscent of Asghar Farhadi, whose films tend to start with something small, and then veering calamitously, and end a bit … up in the air … without a tidy ending, which is often a fun anomaly, in contrast to Hollywood cinema.
In this film, the eponymous accident is a minor moment of a car – with a husband, his pregnant wife, and their bouncy little girl in the back seat - hitting an animal on the road at night. The man looks for a repair place, and gets lucky with a guy who offers to help. But hidden in back is another man, Vahid, who recognizes the husband’s voice, he thinks, and is galvanized into desperate action. Vahid thinks the driver may be the same person who had tortured him in a government prison. And it takes off from there, as it intensifies into escalating drama and complexity.
It's really well-cast in terms of everyone being clearly identifiable, as more and more people become involved, and really well-written, with the escalating tension - but also managing some moments of humor. And it’s worth mentioning that, besides this being an excellent movie, it’s an excellent example of filmmakers doing their best in courageously pushing back against a stifling governmental regime.
Hope some of you go see it.