Taste of Cherry
1997
Directed by Abbas Kiarostami
I was shocked to discover that Roger Ebert actually gave a negative review of this film. This seemed like the kind of dull chore of a movie that critics would hail as a masterpiece. Reason number 151 that I love Roger Ebert: he isn't pretentious.
A man drives around Tehran, looking for someone to bury him after he dies. He plans on killing himself and explains that he will enter a pit at nightfall. If he is dead by morning, he hopes that someone will fill the hole. If he is alive, he hopes that someone will help him out. The film follows his attempts at trying to find someone for this strange task. It is never explained why he wants to commit suicide, who he is, or if he even decides to go through with it.
Ebert called this film "excruciatingly boring" and I have to agree. Forcing us to watch this man drive around aimlessly for an hour and a half without ever revealing an interesting back story just felt cruel. And what was up with the ending? Was it just to remind us that it was all just a movie? Kiarostami is relying on the viewer to fill in all the blanks of his story and yet still believes the audience is too stupid to realize it was just a movie?
Anyway, I think we are finally done with Kiarostami and the only time he truly impressed me was with The White Balloon. I guess that means it was worth it?
RATING: *----
Interesting Facts:
Kiarostami shot each of the actors separately with him either sitting in the passenger seat or driver seat.
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