For such a simple story, Kiarostami gives us a real sense of indignation over the boy who is a habitual liar, and tension in the fate of the tailor's apprentice over the suit he's unwisely loaned out for the night. Clocking in at just 60 minutes, this one quietly packs a punch as it unfolds, and is well worth seeing.
Hidden in the simplicity is commentary about class, as it's an affluent boy the suit has been made for, after his mom has prattled on about how she's letting him forge his own path in life. We find out he had a suit made just two years prior but outgrew it, and now needs another for his sister's wedding. It's quite a contrast to the working boys, one of whom (the liar) has already dropped out of high school, and who vies with another just to wear it for a single night. They've apparently done this before too, and with varying degrees of success relative to not damaging the garment. To get a glimpse of where the boy's troubles may come from when we see his older brother beating him at the end was unexpected and powerful in a subtle way.
There is also commentary about generational differences, as an old man at the end rages on like a lunatic about how things were different in the past, and his own glory days with women. The deep sense of humanism typical to Kiarostami's work comes from the tailor himself, who mollifies this man as well as the mother, all with such calm dignity. All that and a simple magic show too. Quite a nice little gem.
Hidden in the simplicity is commentary about class, as it's an affluent boy the suit has been made for, after his mom has prattled on about how she's letting him forge his own path in life. We find out he had a suit made just two years prior but outgrew it, and now needs another for his sister's wedding. It's quite a contrast to the working boys, one of whom (the liar) has already dropped out of high school, and who vies with another just to wear it for a single night. They've apparently done this before too, and with varying degrees of success relative to not damaging the garment. To get a glimpse of where the boy's troubles may come from when we see his older brother beating him at the end was unexpected and powerful in a subtle way.
There is also commentary about generational differences, as an old man at the end rages on like a lunatic about how things were different in the past, and his own glory days with women. The deep sense of humanism typical to Kiarostami's work comes from the tailor himself, who mollifies this man as well as the mother, all with such calm dignity. All that and a simple magic show too. Quite a nice little gem.