Review of The Stoning of Soraya M. (2009) by Eric B — 24 Mar 2010

This is definitely the best stoner movie I've ever seen. Also, the least funny...Actually, I'm thinking about Half-Baked right now and it could be a tie. Anyhow, it's pretty painful to watch The Stoning of Soraya M in parts. Stoning someone to death is apparently quite the slow process, so don't look forward to that scene. Overall, this is an important, moving story that needed to be told. To the extent that it is a good movie, I might say it seemed very authentic and well acted. The script has an ominous inevitability to it that gives it a single tracked sobriety and simplicity.

Soraya is certainly a frightening look at what happens when individuals implement religion as law. Like a really sick, extreme version of Utah liquor laws. But it makes me very thankful to live with religious freedom. And it is a further reminder of how horrific it would be to be born a woman in many parts of the world, especially those under Sharia law, obviously.

What I've been contemplating most, perhaps, is whether the ruling mullahs of Iran would actually dislike this portrayal of their country. Certainly from a western perspective it's not very flattering to see a woman stoned to death for no reason. But, I can imagine them viewing the wrongful stoning of a marginally defiant woman as a victimless crime at worst.

I'd say enjoy this, but it's pretty upsetting at times, and quite blunt. As always when I witness torture of any kind in a movie, I have to say, "Boy, this doesn't make waterboarding look too bad.".