Ten (2002) is an Iranian film written and directed by Abbas Kiarostami. In an astonishing tour de force, this movie takes place entirely within an automobile. (One of the hallmarks of Kiarostami's work is his use of motor vehicles. However, the single set for this film is the interior of a automobile. We see some POV shots of the streets and other cars, but that's it.)
Mania Akbari plays the role called "Driver." She does, indeed, drive throughout the film. Sometimes we see her passengers, but we never have a shot of both people in the car at once. The plot of the film is the Driver's interaction with passengers.
Akbari has several different passengers. Two of them are (I think) her sisters, one is a pious older woman, and one is a prostitute. However, most of the time she interacts with her son Amin, played incredibly well by Amin Maher. Amin appears to be about eight years old. (The title of the movie, "Ten," refers to the ten discrete episodes that make up the film.)
The Driver and Amin's father are divorced, and most of the dialogue between mother and son revolves around this fact. The constant furious arguing between the two is painful to watch and hear--barely a loving word is exchanged between them.
The boy is so angry about the divorce that he attacks his mother--and her new husband--at every turn. The mother lashes back, in between offers of ice cream, which the boy clearly doesn't want. Interestingly, Amin holds his own in the arguments--he's really skilled at taking his mother's words and using them against her. His behavior so extreme that in the U.S. we might consider him as being on the autism spectrum. Not knowing Iranian culture, it's not clear to me whether this behavior would be considered so abnormal in that country.
The mother's interactions with her other passengers are not as difficult to watch as are those with her son. Picking up the older woman and taking her to the mosque is an act of charity. She tries to help her sisters with their problems, and she appears to be very sympathetic to the prostitute. She's clearly an intelligent and cultured person. However, her interactions with Amin are so toxic that the movie is fairly depressing.
What's not depressing is the skill and deftness with which Kiarostami tells us about the Driver's life, and the lives of the people around her. Only a genius could give us so much information, and make a movie so interesting, while having just a single set. Not only is there just a single set, but that single set is narrowly confined to the interior of an automobile! It's just amazing.
We saw this film on DVD, and it worked well. It may not be right for everyone, but if you like intelligent, quiet, intense movies it will be right for you.
Mania Akbari plays the role called "Driver." She does, indeed, drive throughout the film. Sometimes we see her passengers, but we never have a shot of both people in the car at once. The plot of the film is the Driver's interaction with passengers.
Akbari has several different passengers. Two of them are (I think) her sisters, one is a pious older woman, and one is a prostitute. However, most of the time she interacts with her son Amin, played incredibly well by Amin Maher. Amin appears to be about eight years old. (The title of the movie, "Ten," refers to the ten discrete episodes that make up the film.)
The Driver and Amin's father are divorced, and most of the dialogue between mother and son revolves around this fact. The constant furious arguing between the two is painful to watch and hear--barely a loving word is exchanged between them.
The boy is so angry about the divorce that he attacks his mother--and her new husband--at every turn. The mother lashes back, in between offers of ice cream, which the boy clearly doesn't want. Interestingly, Amin holds his own in the arguments--he's really skilled at taking his mother's words and using them against her. His behavior so extreme that in the U.S. we might consider him as being on the autism spectrum. Not knowing Iranian culture, it's not clear to me whether this behavior would be considered so abnormal in that country.
The mother's interactions with her other passengers are not as difficult to watch as are those with her son. Picking up the older woman and taking her to the mosque is an act of charity. She tries to help her sisters with their problems, and she appears to be very sympathetic to the prostitute. She's clearly an intelligent and cultured person. However, her interactions with Amin are so toxic that the movie is fairly depressing.
What's not depressing is the skill and deftness with which Kiarostami tells us about the Driver's life, and the lives of the people around her. Only a genius could give us so much information, and make a movie so interesting, while having just a single set. Not only is there just a single set, but that single set is narrowly confined to the interior of an automobile! It's just amazing.
We saw this film on DVD, and it worked well. It may not be right for everyone, but if you like intelligent, quiet, intense movies it will be right for you.