Hit the Road

A rather astonishing work. The movie captures the intimacy of family dynamics so well and I love how the road movie clichés are simultaneously embraced and undermined.

Maybe I've missed something but it's just not an enjoyable ride. The young boy, however, has the makings of a fine actor

No, I've never heard of this but not only is it our second Iranian film on the list, it's the second film made by a member of the Panahi family - the last one was very peculiar indeed, so I'm hoping for something a little more straightforward this time (it would struggle to be less straightforward!). On the face of it, we've got something pretty simple - a family taking a road trip. Dad is grumpy with a broken leg, Mum seems a bit more sensible and trying to keep everyone in line, the eldest son is very quiet and the youngest son is QUITE the handful - precocious beyond belief and he won't shut up, but he's also pretty funny. As time goes on, it becomes clear why they're on the road trip and emotions run high with everyone reacting in their own way to the situation, with the family unit still being the overriding factor. All in all, the film is a thoughtful meditation on family relationships - particularly what you'd do for your children, no matter what the cost to you. You'll always love them, even if they drive you mad or are acting quite unloveably - and you'll always want to give them advice, no matter how much they don't want it! And in that vein, the film meanders its way to a bittersweet but very satisfactory conclusion - it manages to pack a whole lot more plot in there than you initially envisage, with it being slowly released as the film progresses. It's all well acted - Hassan Madjooni and Pantea Panahiha (the parents) in particular do a great job but Amin Simiar (the elder son) and Rayan Sarlak (the younger) join them in acting as a believable family unit. There are other people in the film, but it's fair to say they don't have the chance to shine - except for the cyclist in a road race that they accidentally knock over who takes his moment in the spotlight well. The film is well written on several levels - it has believable characters, who you like and root for, even if they're not behaving at their best. They are also in a believable relationship - there's a lot here that will chime with anyone. But on top of that stable core, it also introduces some lovely song/dance routines and flights of fancy at times. It has an utterly charming scene wherein the dad (wearing a very snazzy gold sleeping bag suit!) and youngest son talk utter nonsense about how much Batman's car is worth (and it feels exactly like the sort of thing a real family would talk about anywhere in the world). And as they talk, stars appear in the grass they're lying on and then it's slowly replaced by the night sky - it's just so lovely. It also manages to have a remarkably poignant scene where one of the family is tied to a tree and screaming his head off - which is quite the achievement. It's also well filmed - a lot of it takes place in the car but it all feels well thought out. It's also got very cool scenery - there's all sorts in Iran it appears and it looks to be a beautiful country, but I suspect I won't be paying it a visit any time soon. And since it was both written and directed by Panah Panahi, he thoroughly deserves a name-check (and I enjoyed this a lot more than I enjoyed his father's film). I wouldn't say this is a "great" film, but it's thoroughly enjoyable and relatable, whilst also having plenty of content to make you think a bit deeper about things and maybe appreciate your life a bit more. I also imagine that making any film in Iran is not a trivial undertaking (it really isn't), particularly one with some political content, so credit is due to the team involving in getting this out there. Some aspects of this film are very specific to Iran, but it feels easily transferable so I wouldn't be surprised to see an English language remake at some point - although in several places I was very much reminded of Little Miss Sunshine, so there's possibly an argument this is a Farsi-language politicised version of that! Provided you don't mind subtitles, I think this is well worth watching - at the time of writing, it's available to rent in all the usual places (it's much more widely available than I was expecting) so maybe check it out.

Incredible movie. Sweet funny beautiful.

It had its funny and poignant moments, but I think I would have liked this more if I had the cultural and historical context to understand it better. It was likable overall, though I wasn't a fan of the weird lip-singing at the end.

Such a well acted movie and the dialogue was great. Funny and then increasingly sadder as you realize the true horror that is behind this road trip.

A very beautiful film where we follow an Iranian family in a road trip without tail or head with great lines, very well constructed characters and the pain of a country plunged in the exile and the exodus through the humor. To see without further delay

I went to see this by accident (I'd mixed it up with Joyride) but I absolutely loved it. It tells the story of an Iranian family on a road trip. The way they do deadpan banter with each other is so natural and realistic, and very funny. The reason for the trip gradually emerges during the film and the emotional levels build up accordingly. The acting from Pantea Panahiha as the mother is incredible -- she's trying to keep the mood light for her six year old while dealing with serious stuff with her late teens/early 30s son, and going through her own emotions. Amazing. It is also beautifully shot, and the landscapes are magnificent.

So I tried watching one movie tonight, but found it tedious and dull. I switched to this one, and wasn't much into it, either. May sound like film review sacrilege, as it seems every single Iranian, Iraqi, Turkish, Balkan, Kazakhstani....film gets a 4-5 star review and a 90-some percent RT rating, but I didn't get much from this one for most of the running time. It did grow on me after a while, though. The kid was annoying for a lot of the movie, including the really obnoxious opening scene with the phone. But the movie did redeem itself somewhat for me in the final scenes. Pantea Panahiha as the mother was particularly good, so convincingly conveying the pain of her son leaving them across the border. This is considered a dramatic comedy, and there were funny bits, mostly from Hassan Madjooni, who was great as the very dry father, so over both of his son's behavior. The next to last scene was very nice, with the mother driving them and smiling again as they all enjoy some Iranian pop music. But then the director saw fit to add another scene like that, only a cheesy with the kid mouthing the words. Bad call. Still, I'll give it 3 stars.

Nope. Just because a movie is made in Iran doesn't give it a free ride on ratings. This movie is stupid, It isn't funny. It isn't original. It isn't charming. It isn't clever. It is stupid. Unoriginal. Period. I suffered a good hour before I finally turned it off. I hate when I give critics the benefit of the doubt and suffer through movies.