Film: The Persian Version

I’d not seen the trailer for this and dived straight in as the first post-holiday cinema visit.

This is the story of Leila (played by Layla Mohammadi), whose family moved to the USA, where she was born. With seven (I think) older brothers, you would expect her to be the most wanted daughter and, as a result, a spoilt princess. She is not.

Instead, her mother treats her like an unwanted extra child and her father, a GP, is out of the picture awaiting a heart transplant. This is why the family have gathered to be at his side. Inevitably one of her brothers has fallen off the rails and straight into drugs and yet still, Leila is the one that is continually picked on.

Her mother is formidable. She needs to be, not just because of all those children, but because with her husband unable to work for some time and a massive hospital bill landing, she needs to find a way of making money. And because this is Hollywood, she does. Fast.

Meanwhile, Leila, who calls herself a Lesbian, gets pregnant during a one-night stand with a drag queen/actor. In fairness, if this was a proper Hollywood film, the whole film would have been just about that.

It is about so much more including the backstory in Iran of how her parents came to marry and move to a remote, rural village where they needed a GP and what made them go to the USA.

I still don’t know why they needed to leave Iran (no spoilers). Also don’t know why a city girl agreed to live in the sticks where there are absolutely no facilities.

The funny bits are quite OK but this emotional backstory was more interesting.

6½/10