GFF 2010: About Elly

The true nature of About Elly sneaks up on the audience. Asghar Farhadi's Silver Berlin Bear winner begins as a light-hearted affair with a group of friends enjoying a weekend at the beach, but a shocking turn of events takes us into much darker, more complex territory. The beautifully structured screenplay piles lies upon lies as the group's desperate attempts to salvage the situation only make matters worse, and in the process, Farhadi makes a sly statement on the culture of deception that defines much of Iranian life. The film's political angle is secondary to its resonant human drama, making this one of the most accessible and purely entertaining Iranian films in years. About Elly blends humour and irony with sequences of real tension, and the director rarely missteps in his handling of the frequent tonal shifts. He also elicits superb performances from his actors, with Golshifteh Farahani the pick of a perfect ensemble as a woman struggling to cope with the consequences of her actions.