ABOUT ELLY (2009)

 

Written & Directed By: Asghar Farhadi 

Story By: Asghar Farhadi and Azad Jafarian

Cinematography: Hossein Jafarian

Editor: Iman Rahimi and Hayedeh Safiyari

Cast: Golshifteh Farahani, Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Sajjad Dolati, Merila Zare’i, Mani Hachighi, Peyman Moaadi, Ra’Na Azad, Ahmad Mehranfar, Saber Abbar 

A group of friends leave Tehran for a long weekend on the Caspian Sea. A young kindergarten teacher named Elly is invited along to join the good friends and family. The reason is soon made apparent: she's being set-up with a recently divorced man. Over an easy-going holiday, tensions rise until a crisis point is triggered, and Elly goes missing.

This film is tricky as eventually, it becomes a mystery, though at first, it seems more like a reunion drama.

It quickly becomes melodramatic as friends come together and celebrate a vacation that brings a newcomer. Eventually not only is her feet under investigation but also who she was.

This all begins to tear, not only the friends apart, but also the couples and relationships. As she might have been there for some ulterior motives, that only Sam knew about.

We learn about her as most of the characters do as they keep getting pulled in Dever, as it goes along and more is revealed

This film is full-scale storytelling surrounding events in the friend's fall out, As questions are slowly answered plenty of mysteries are introduced and still remain

The film is a morality play from different points of view, which is what the Director Asghar Farhadi, excels at painting, a full picture and making sure that you are paying attention to all the little details in focus

Not necessarily, a murder mystery, but a mystery nonetheless, as lies and secrets lead to more trouble it’s not as melodramatic as one, I think as it stays sharp and we become more invested trying to see where it will go 

The film mostly takes place in a single location that while small becomes epic 

This all leads to a haunting and haunted, ending, showing the damage of their lies, and what it has done to their lives, which would also allow for answers

Grade: B