‘6 A.M.’ Assessment: Mehran Modiri’s Time-Ticking Mystery


In his 2nd theatrical movie, multi-hyphenate Mehran Modiri, considered one of Iran’s maximum liked TV satirists, turns his hand to the mystery style with blended effects. He writes, directs and plays within the intense however more and more contrived social problems film “6 A.M.,” wherein a small incident escalates into a large tragedy. Even if the indie function most commonly seems and performs like a middling TV drama, it nonetheless paints a shockingly essential image of the rustic by means of appearing how unexpectedly and fully the state can intervene with the behind-closed-doors lives of bizarre voters. 

Philosophy pupil Sara (Samira Hassanpour) is nervously making ready to catch a 6 a.m. flight to Toronto, the place she’s going to are living for the following 3 years whilst she pursues her doctorate. As she eats what she jokingly refers to because the “Ultimate Supper” together with her college professor folks and brother Siavash (Mehrdad Sedighian), she’s interrupted by means of a choice from her shut good friend Fariba (Mona Farjad) who insists that Sara forestall by means of a last accumulating of her friends, and gained’t let her say no. Sara provides in, marking the primary of quite a few unhealthy selections that may hang-out her over the process the night.

The collection hosted by means of Fariba and Peyman (Mansour Nasiri) in a spacious, Western-style condominium boasting an bizarre collection of artwork, proves better than anticipated, with the female and male pals consuming pizza and consuming unlawful alcohol whilst discussing some social issues, together with excessive rents. Even if Sara actually wishes to visit the airport, Fariba has deliberate a number of song performances and he or she gained’t let Sara out the door prior to they happen. 

On the 35-minute mark, the doorbell rings, however as an alternative of extra pleasant faces come to bid Sara good-bye, it’s the police, performing on a citizen document a few disturbance. By means of now, it’s already contact and opt for Sara to make her flight. With the chance that the officials will power the ones on the birthday celebration to visit the police station, her pals assist her to cover in an air duct. The rest 80 mins function surprises perfect found out within the second, all through which the strain stays excessive whilst the motion turns into regularly far-fetched.

Modiri, who additionally seems as a high-ranking safety services and products hostage negotiator within the movie’s ultimate segment, inundates his screenplay with aural and visible foreshadowing. The discussion comprises an amazing collection of mentions of “final” and “ultimate.” Alternatively, in a extra cutting edge selection, he eschews the ticking clock tool some other filmmaker may use to extend the running-out-of-time stress and as an alternative cuts to black between his brief scenes, inculcating a way of finality, claustrophobia and dread.

Excluding Sara, the supposedly good lady who assists in keeping making silly alternatives, the opposite characters are completely one-dimensional. As her supportive brother, Sedighian is completely unconvincing in his over-the-top, last-act movements. The low-budget manufacturing design wavers between too glaring (Sara framed in the back of the bars of the locked and sealed condominium) and perplexing (why is Peyman’s condominium furnished with an enormous Marilyn Monroe picture, a replica of Vermeer’s The Woman With a Pearl Earring and Da Vinci’s outstretched fingers?) 

The movie opened in Iran this summer time, however failed to draw a lot target audience. In a rustic beset by means of social issues and the place such a lot of much less gifted writer-directors ape Asghar Farhadi, it’s no marvel that comedies paintings perfect on the native field place of business.


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