Man on Wire

 

Genre: documentary

With: Philippe Petit, Jean-François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Annie Allix, David Forman, Alan Welner, Mark Lewis, Barry Greenhouse, Jim Moore and Guy F. Tozzoli (as themselves)

Director: James Marsh

Screenplay: Philippe Petit (based on his book)

Release: 2008

Studio: Discovery Films, BBC Storyville, UK Film Council

Rating: PG-13

MBiS score: 8.7/10

  

Don’t Even Consider It! 

 

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Story-line: France in the 1970s. After walking a tightrope above Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and Harbor Bridge in Sydney, Philippe Petit sets his sights on an even more challenging landmark in the Big Apple.

Pluses: Philippe’s mesmerizing insights about life and his search for personal fulfillment, splendid support from a likeable and candid group of participants, excellent, laser-precise direction, a brilliant, non-linear screenplay that uses vivid stock footage, fictional recreations and profound commentary to weave a surprising and suspenseful story, very good cinematography, fine production values and a topical musical score.

Minuses: indirectly, MAN ON WIRE serves as a bittersweet memorial of the World Trade Center when it stood supreme in the New York City skyline.

Comments: both hair-raising and overwhelming, MAN ON WIRE immortalizes an astounding feat by a wonderful magician and athlete who dared to dream something impossible and worked obsessively to make it happen, with the help of his amazing creativity, his resilience to pressure, a dedicated team around him and a little bit of luck. In James Marsh’s masterly and humanistic documentary, you will meet the man on a wire, admire his prowess and determination, understand how he came to see the Twin Towers as a crowning achievement. This work of poetry, an obvious Best Documentary winner at the Oscars, is one of those priceless films movie buffs live for. 

 

MBiS 

© 2026 – All rights reserved

 

Darbareye Elly

English title: About Elly

Genre: psychological drama

With: Taraneh Alidoosti (Elly), Golshifteh Farahani (Sepideh), Shahab Hosseini (Ahmad), Merila Zare'i (Shohreh), Mani Haghighi (Amir), Payman Maadi (Peyman), Ra'na Azadivar (Naazi), Ahmad Mehranfar (Manoochehr), Saber Abar (Alireza)

Director: Asghar Farhadi

Screenplay: Asghar Farhadi (with the possible participation of A. Jafarian)

Release: 2009

Studio: Dreamlab

Rating: TV-PG

MBiS score: 8.7/10 

 

Is There Such a Thing as an Innocent Lie? 

 

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Story-line: it’s that time of year again… the old gang from law school is heading for the shores of the Caspian Sea. Gang members are (1) Sepideh, the organizer, who leads the pack with husband Amir and daughter Morvarid; (2) Shohreh, hubby Peyman and their two children Arash and Anita; and (3) Naazi with her husband Manoochehr. This year, however, there’s more to the trip than rest and recreation… Sepideh has invited Elly, her daughter’s kindergarten teacher, so she can meet Naazi’s brother, Ahmad, who is back from Germany for a rare visit. Love is in the air, you see…

Pluses: superb, natural-looking performances by an engaging group of actors (I won’t single out anyone because they are all fantastic, including the children), seamless and astoundingly precise direction, a complex, well-structured and riveting screenplay rich in psychological insights, character interplay and telling dialogues (Elly’s conversation with Ahmad on their way back from errands is simply exquisite), very attractive cinematography, fine editing, realistic production values and a startling ending.

Minuses: even though ABOUT ELLY is interesting from the get-go, the characters and story-line confused me early on. If this happens to you, stop at the 30-minute mark and replay that first segment; you will notice small but important details and better appreciate this great movie. For good measure, I watched the whole thing twice… and I can confirm that everything fits. 

Comments: ABOUT ELLY begins innocently enough – close friends travel to the seaside, have fun together and watch their guests as they forge a relationship – but an unexpected event will spell tragedy for all. Discussions and arguments ensue, lies are told for whatever reason and things get harder and harder to figure out. From such a dramatic story about relationships – and the fateful shortcuts we sometimes take in life –, Asghar Farhadi has spun a stunning film anchored by superb acting and a screenplay as rigorous as a world-class ballet. It all comes down to one question asked by Alireza and, when the answer comes, it will leave him – and all of us watching – utterly speechless. From one frame to the next, ABOUT ELLY is flawless cinema. 

 

MBiS 

© 2026 – All rights reserved