Wednesday, January 21, 2009

The Cyclist

There's no doubt that Iranian film maker Mohsen Makhmalbaf has gift for striking imagery but what's troubling in his and his daughter's work is the exploitative nature as a film maker that lacks sincerity and accuracy. This film clearly inspired by the Sydney Pollack's classic "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" about a desperate Afghan refugee who needs money for his wife medical treatment takes on a week long marathon on a bicycle. His manipulative use of sentimental music is shameless to say the least. As he has done with this film and later with "Kandahar," he exploited the Afghan tragedies without giving an accurate picture again and again which is disturbing given that his work gets critical approval at prestigious festivals around the world. YRCinema's coverage of films on DVD.

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