Review of Offside (2006) by Noel V — 31 Mar 2011
Hilarious, subtle, pointed, sad. With effortless dexterity Panahi scores with this caustic satire, about a group of girls trying to sneak into an Iranian soccer game (where they are banned), but not just any soccer game--it's the game where Iran qualified for the 2006 World Cup.
Comedy this sharp is almost impossible to describe, the way a beautiful kick past a goalie can be impossible to describe: there are no words, there are only the motions, and the way the player sidesteps all the restrictions in his production (He can't film the girls in the game, for one thing, he has to hope for the purposes of his script that Iran wins, and he has to do all this for budgetary reasons (not a lot of money for extras) during the actual games).
The ending, a victory for the record, is both exuberant and bittersweet.
This review of Offside (2006) was written by Noel V on 31 Mar 2011.
Offside has generally received very positive reviews.
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