Taste of Cherry

This feels like _Locke_ if it was written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan. Truly a beautiful, poetic film that despite its heavy subject matter isn’t as downbeat as you might expect. There are moments of wonder in this that would come across as cheesy or disingenuous in a Hollywood film, however here it feels so emotionally real. It’s very thought provoking, focussing on humanism and philosophy as the core of the story, meditative would probably be a good way of describing it. It has some really pretty cinematography (though the camerawork inside the car gets stale, which is probably my biggest complaint) and all of the acting feels understated and completely natural. The ending makes the right choice for the story, but I think that it could’ve been presented in a more natural way. I think I get what it’s going for, but stylistically it feels off to me. 8/10

The narrative is bold and reflects the complex cultural and religious issues of its context, giving it a remarkable density. With an introspective and melancholic tone, the focus is on the characters and their dialogues, whose performances are excellent, bringing naturalness to the interactions. The development of the plot is deliberately slow, featuring several scenes in which interaction is minimal, limited to observing the protagonist in his search for someone to help him achieve his goal. This repetition can become tiresome, especially considering the length of the movie. However, all the dialogues are well-crafted, highlighting the weight of religion in the culture of these individuals and its implications for their desires, feelings and decisions.