The Book of Law [Ketabe ghanouin] (Miri, 2009)IMDB LinkIranian cinema isn’t what it used to be. The interesting films of today pale in comparison to some of the amazing films, festival or mainstream, of several years back. Out of all the garbage that exists today, “The Book of Law” is slightly better than the rest. Not amazing, but likable enough.
Rahman (Parviz Parastui) is on a government team that routinely goes to Lebanon for official business. One day while in Beirut, he falls in love with a Lebanese girl, Juliet (Darine Hamze), that later on becomes Muslim and changes her name to Ameneh. Even though his family disapproves, Rahman marries her anyway and brings her to Iran.
There is then a religious clash between a newly-converted Muslim and Rahman’s conservative family. Like all newly converts, Ameneh is extremely annoying, carrying the Quran around, and spouting verses from it that advises the family members how to be better muslims. The film is to show the hypocrisy of Iranians who claim to be good Muslims, but who don’t strictly follow the Quran (there is a part where the women are gossiping and Ameneh reads them a verse that compares gossiping to eating the flesh of one’s brothers. Not surprisingly, everyone gets angry and leaves).
It’s hard to like Ameneh, because it is irritating to have someone carry a Quran around and wait for any opportunity to read something from it. But it is also hard to like everyone else, claiming to be good Muslims, while they get outraged when their acts are pointed out to be non-Muslim like.
An interesting message, just wish I liked anyone in the film.
3/5
