The concept of the meta film has become more and more significant during the latest years, with Iranian cinema, which always had a knack for blurring the line between cinema and reality, or fantasy and reality if you prefer, seeming like an ideal platform for such a type of movie. “Me, Maryam, the Children and 26 Others” definitely highlights the fact.
Me, Maryam, the Children and 26 Others is screening at International Film Festival Rotterdam
Mahboube is a 30-plus sculptor living alone with her pets and plants, with her narrations and a number of scenes throughout the movie implying a sort of trauma that has led her to isolation. However, as the story begins, due to financial problems, she decides to rent out her house for a six-day shooting of a short film, which turns out to be an autobiographical story about the director's divorce from his wife. The interactions between owner and crew is penned in a contract, but inevitably, chaos soon ensues, to a point at least, with the cat scene highlighting the fact in the most impactful fashion. Gradually, though, Mahboube manages to come closer, first to line producer Farshad and camera man Navid, who stays the nights guarding the equipment, and soon to a number of other members of the crew, as the experience truly changes her.
The movie thrives in three levels. First and foremost is the presentation of how an actual shooting like the one described would be, with Farshad Hashemi highlighting every technical detail, from the way the camera and the sound are implemented, to the make up and hair styling the protagonist, Zahra, undergoes. The level of realism and detail here is of the utmost level, although one could say that, considering how nice everyone involved seem to be, the approach is somewhat romanticized.
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The second level has to do with Mahboube, and how she changes through the interactions with the kind-hearted cast and crew, to the point that, even if she begins as an annoyed outsider, eventually becomes part of the ‘family'. This aspect also moves towards another path, implying that cinema can actually make a change and truly help people.
Lastly, and in conjunction with the aforementioned aspect, the way Mahboube eventually starts seeing herself as a protagonist of the movie, is one of the main sources of the meta element here, and also one of its most entertaining. Granted, her past and in general what has happened to her could have been presented in better fashion, but this is just a minor issue, with the narrative in general working excellently here.
The acting is on a rather high level too. Mahboubeh Gholami as Mahboube highlights her initial discomfort and how it changes into something completely different with gusto, while the scenes where she injects herself in the movie are the highlights of an overall great performance. Farshad Hashemi himself in the role of Farshad emits a likeability and kindness that carries the movie from beginning to end, with his jokes during the breaks in shooting definitely staying on mind. Zahra Aghapour as Zahra plays the ‘actress' convincingly while the boxing scene is probably the most memorable in the whole movie.
Despite some minor issues here and there, “Me, Maryam, the Children and 26 Others” emerges as a very intelligent, very rewarding film that thrives on its narrative approach and the likeability of its characters.
