The Persian Version (2023)

"Leila" (Layla Mohammadi) has a sort of love/hate relationship with her mother "Shireen" (Kamand Shafieisabet who morphs into the formidable Niousha Noor) that seems to centre around the former's more independent, and lesbian, lifestyle in the United States to where the family emigrated from Iran. What's bringing all this familial strife to an head is the fact that her father is suffering from heart problems in hospital. They are all gathering around to be supportive and "Shireen" can barely suffer her daughter to remain in the same room. Now "Leila" has been told their arrival in America was due to a doctor shortage following the Vietnam war, but a casual conversation with her grandmother (Bella Warda) introduces the idea of a "scandal" into the proceedings. She doesn't get an immediate explanation, but gradually she is filled in on a scenario that isn't quite as she'd been led to believe. It appears that her parents started out in a remote part of their homeland and that their early marriage wasn't exactly "straightforward". What now ensues bares then brings together the threads of the lives of these two women as they both develop the strong character traits that explains rather well the reasons for the current combativeness. A Halloween one-night-stand with actor "Max" (Tom Byrne) further complicates things as we head to a frenetic conclusion that is all pretty predictable. Initially, this offers us quite an interesting look at contrasting cultures and generational aspirations, but otherwise it's not really very funny, plays to a load of stereotypes - she has nine brothers so every box can be ticked, and I found the last few scenes really quite annoyingly selfish. It's an OK watch this, but you'll never remember it.