depuch First off....wow, all the Iranian expats posting reviews here seem to have an agenda and it seems like a number of reviewers are hating on this movie without having actually watched it (describing scenes that don't exist in the movie!) I thought this was a fascinating look at what goes on behind closed doors in Iran; not just the sex, drugs and rock and roll of the young people's underground club scene, but also the wealthy parents who drink wine and love to sing and dance. I think the only flaw is that the filmmaker is trying to tell too many stories of the affects of this brutal religious/political repression. There are a number of subplots and minor characters that aren't well developed, but the main story of the two young women who are in love and desperate for freedom is haunting and heartbreaking.

cubus_nitrate Don't get me wrong, some of my favourite films are foreign language films: I love Amour, City of God, Sophie Scholl: The Final Days, and Letters From Iwo Jima. But the delivery of this film, even down to how the actors are speaking their lines is just dire.I would honestly prefer to watch an out-and-out gaudy, trashy lesbian film such as "And then Came Lola" or "It's in The Water" that at least is aware of how terrible it is than sit through another 100 minutes of this pretentious, inaccurate rubbish.I laud the intention, don't get me wrong. It's not every day you get a film based on the relationship between two Iranian lesbians. This film could have been amazing if it had just stuck to that point and developed their relationship as the primary focus of the film.But the film is drawn in so many directions, many of which are left incomplete. A group of friend talk about dubbing the film "Milk", later one of them is arrested as a spy (but we never find out the conclusion of either of these). The main male character Mehran starts the film smoking hard drugs, yet his father does a urine test on him that proves nothing?! One of the girls has no money for school at the start of the film, and this is never addressed again. These are just some of the examples... And to top it off, a large proportion of the acting is half-hearted and (from what I can see from Persian speakers reviewing the film) done by people who are not even fluent in the language. I didn't believe in the romance as there was no romance in how it was spoken, and the scenes were left underdeveloped.Also why are they preoccupied with going to Dubai?! I know it is probably less oppressive than Iran, but it isn't exactly a gay haven either!Go and watch a feel good, throw away, unapologetic gay film rather than wade through this. Trust me, I wish I had!

drawnprophet I recently met Maryam Keshavarz after watching a screening of Circumstance. A lot of the reviews here complain that it is unrealistic and that she has no basis of Iranian culture and that the actors aren't from Iran, etc. But Keshavarz's family is from Iran and she spent a lot of time there as a child. She based Mehran's character off of her uncle who made a similar transition after war. As for the actors, all of them are Iranian. They might not have been living in Iran, but she said all of them are from Iran. And she could not advertise the roles in Iran. Secondly, it doesn't look like Iran BECAUSE IT'S NOT. The director was forced to shoot the film in a different country under great suspicion. This film was shot on actual film, not digital, and all of it happened within the span of six weeks. Which is not that long. The cinematography is phenomenal. And finally. This movie is illegal in Iran. And none of the actors or the director are allowed back to Iran. Ever. I think that says something.I personally thought this movie was beautiful. The cinematography was good. The plot was enticing and wonderfully executed for the budget and restraints they faced. I highly recommend this movie.

dianawatt Just watched this. If this is what Iran is like even slightly I am extremely glad I don't live there. Beautiful settings, but several things got to me - the beach where men were wandering into the sea in budgie smugglers and shorts while the women were not swimming and covered head to foot. Then there was the notion of a man saying something in public about controlling his wife without people looking at him as though he is a bit psycho. The morality police was a surprise, and the idea that women who drive can be pulled over by the police - I am not sure if it was the stereo was on or because they were women. I knew about the having to have a male relatives permission to travel.. It seems extremely repressive to me, but there are definitely lighter moments. I rather liked the idea of coats and veils hiding dance clothes, and the parents were lovely.