Taste of Cherry

Pros: Profound theme handled with great subtlety, beautiful cinematography at times, superlative direction

Cons: Relatively devoid of action or narrative (possibly troublesome for viewers unaccustomed to art films)

The Bottom Line: A highly recommended Palme d’Or-winning masterpiece from the leading Iranian director

Review: I had left to kill myself and came back with mulberries! . . . .Abdolhossein Bagheri in Taste of Cherry This film has stimulated an unusual amount of controversy right from its inception. To begin with, Iranian director Abbas ...

Pros: See review.

Cons: None.

Review: There are three or four faces in the history of cinema that I will forever remember. Knowing Renee Maria Falconetti’s face from Carl T. Dreyer’s the Passion of Joan of Arc is to know the face of silent film; perhaps just as memorable are Jean-Pierre...

Pros: Cinematography, witty dialogue

Cons: Ending

Review: Abbas Kiarostami's TASTE OF CHERRY is a very engaging film, which I won't forget any time soon, if at all. The plot finds a man named Mr. Badii, who wants someone to help him committ suicide. At first, he asks a young Kurd soldier to assist in his...

Pros: Some interesting elements.

Cons: Mostly lazy and boring.

The Bottom Line: This "cherry" is hothouse produce -- edible, but bland and forgettable.

Review: I saw Abbas Kiarostami’s 1997 A Taste of Cherry because it received enormous critical acclaim and seemed to be a movie which I simply owed it to myself to experience. Disappointingly, it left me confused at first, and then mildly annoyed, as ...