Review of Ten (2002) by Ws W — 24 Jul 2015
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. The conceit of Ten is yawn-inducingly uncomplicated: ten conversations between Mania Akbari, a twice-married Iranian woman taxi driver, and her passengers over 48 hours, captured in long static shots from a digital camera secured to the dashboard.
As Akbari traverses the city streets, she converses with, among others, her willful son, a jilted bride, a local prostitute and a woman travelling to prayer. What emerges is a fascinating mosaic of the role of women within a repressive regime.
Yet, through the accumulation of telling details, a rounded backstory for Akbari slowly starts to coalesce, producing some extraordinary moments. Brilliantly performed, the effect is as direct and intimate as a confession, a halfway house between fiction and documentary.
It's a master working in a minimalist mode, but no less thrilling for that.
This review of Ten (2002) was written by Ws W on 24 Jul 2015.
Ten has generally received very positive reviews.
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