MIFF Review - Tehroun

IMDB,
Score: 2/5
Language:  Iranian with English subs
Genre: Drama, crime
Summary: (from MIFF)
The dark underbelly of Tehran (known to locals as Tehroun) is laid bare in Nader Takmil Homayoun’s feature debut.
Ibrahim’s racket is begging for money from passers-by for himself and his infant son, but in reality the boy is rented from a mob boss purely to gain pity and cash from strangers. When the boy is kidnapped by a local prostitute, Ibrahim must find him or face the wrath of the local mafia.
Melding Iranian neorealism with the tension and pace of a crime thriller, Tehroun was the recipient of the International Critics’ Week Award at the 2009 Venice Film Festival.
“Possesses the naturalism and humanity of a traditional Iranian title but is also a gripping look at the country’s capital city, complete with prostitution, child trafficking, drug smuggling, ganglords and pimps.” – Screen International

D Nader T. Homayoun P Nader T. Homayoun, Jean-Philippe Gaud S Nader T. Homayoun, Jean-Philippe Gaud, Medhi Boustani WS Memento Films L Iranian w/English subtitles TD HDCAM/2009

Comments:

• Felt not pity/like/sympathy for the main character
• Fairly predicable plot. A couple of little twists but nothing startling/particularly surprising
• Could have happened in many cities around the world with slight variations. Nothing unique about the setting