The Persian Version

Don’t let the first 15 minutes of this rousing modern melodrama fool you.

Maryam Keshavarz’s drama is an astute dissection of mother-daughter discord; it’s perceptive and candid in its insights into the push-pull cultural struggle experienced by second-generation immigrants.

Keshavarz cranks up the charm, and the feelgood factor makes it an easy watch – despite some of the gags feeling more suited to a TV sitcom.

Keshavarz hopscotches through numerous genres to relate this feisty feminist tale, and those tonal shifts can be jarring. But the payoff, including a couple of dance numbers, is worth enduring a few bumps in the road.

Yet despite its flaws, The Persian Version is engaging and fresh. With Keshavarz at the helm, the movie is simultaneously familiar and unexpected, and its joyful approach will draw the audience into what may be an unfamiliar world for some.

The Persian Version tells an affecting and painful story about what womanhood demands and imagines, and about how someone can step forward into a life they sculpt for themselves at any age and in any place.

Colourful and vibrant, this beautifully revels in the charm of Persia, but is held back by dislikeable protagonist. But if you’re looking for a film that showcases all things Persian, this is definitely your film.

It’s a noble but flawed look at a culture that nonetheless deserves its time in the spotlight.

As The Persian Version flits back and forth between the past and present and between America and Iran, we see how even the slightest change in perspective can allow us to see, perhaps even appreciate, a situation in a whole new light.

It’s not perfect, but The Persian Version is a mighty salute to not just Keshavarz’s own mothers, but mothers and women all over the world, fighting for a better future and a better life, regardless of their conditions.