Kandahar
Director: Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Year Released: 2001
Rating: 2.0
Kissing cousins with Panahi's The Circle, this is a look at the deplorable conditions inside of Afghanistan, and particularly how women there are forced to "live" (if you can even call it that). The banal voice-over and atrocious acting - not to mention an abrupt ending - undermine any potential effectiveness as a movie; it's more like a documentary - and one that's constantly pleading for help (be careful what you wish for). Made before the U.S.' "Operation: Invade, Invade, Invade (Part One)," it might be interesting to see what's happened inside that torn-up country since this film was shot (I'm betting it's even worse, based on what I've read from non-mainstream sources). The part in the middle with an American 'doctor' would be interesting if the man didn't seem like he was reading his lines off cue cards.
