The expression “mama's boy” takes a completely new dimension in Noushin Meraji's debut feature “The Son” which has recently world-premiered in the main competition of the Moscow Film Festival, paving its way to further potential international screenings.
Unique for its blend of dark tones and drollery, the film is a cross-over between comedy, drama and genre, albeit it doesn't completely succeed in presenting a coherent narrative. But nothing is quite that simple in case of Meraji's dry humor-coloured debut; despite of its diffusely plotted story with the country-specific prior restraints, it is an immersing watch.
“The Son” could be almost described as a one-man theatre performance by the fantastic Soheil Ghannadan who carries his role with such effortless ease that everything (and everyone) else gets squeezed into the background. One gradually forgets about the naivete with which certain parts of the plot are built, and how unconvincing some of the side characters are. This is also due to the lensing of the cinematographer Ali Shoorvarzi, which turns the set into a picturesque stage, contrasting the coldness of a modern, lavish apartment with the emotion-laden interactions between people.
Although already 40 years-old, Farid has never lived without his mother (Nahid Haddadi) and he has probably never worked a day in his life, but he has a list of demands all right. When he isn't feeling entitled to get a new car from his mother, or being given a power of attorney over her banking affairs, he is busy eating or taking secret photographs of the attractive first-door neighbor who isn't that pleased of having a pervert so close by. Farid's mother is worried as well: “This is not our old house”, she warns him several times, and we will never find out what it was that he did there, but the little warning sign will stay engraved in the memory.
Completely isolated from the real world, and used to sharing four walls with his mother, Farid has absolutely no idea how a normal conversation with other people looks like, and even less so how to communicate with women who – despite of his not quite harmless photographic hobby, awkwardly don't seem to attract him sexually. At least, he doesn't show signs of slightest awareness in things about sex, which puts him in hilariously silly (and occasionally – expensive) situations.
Farid isn't anything like a typical on-screen mamma's little handful. Mildly put, he is an over-sized man-baby incapable of doing anything on his own; the consequence of his (non)actions is therefore exceedingly large. One evening, afraid of staying alone in their big, new apartment, Farid doesn't call for the ambulance when his mother suffers a cardiac arrest. The next morning, he finds her dead, and sure enough – fails again to do the right thing.
“The Son” is equally a film about the aftereffect of uneven treatment of children. Farid's elder brother Farhad (Mohtaba Fallahi) is actually their mother's favourite son, despite of having left for US 20 years ago. Unlike Farid, he isn't only physically absent from home, he also doesn't call very often to inquire about mother's health. When he finally comes to visit, she is already dead.
Nooshin Meraji is a name to watch for.
