Iranian film Kandahar received 88% positive reviews in RottenTomatoes (a wonderful site where u can gauge popular crictical opinion about movies), which should make it a wonderful movie. But sadly it falls into the familiar trap, western reviewers viewing a 3rd world film spotlighting on the problems which are unheard of in their native land. Seeing a film (sitting pretty in an airconditioned theater with plush velvett seats) with all the sufferings, pain and oppression, they write the review with a guilt ridden pen, hailing the movie (condesendingly so) as a masterpiece, without any qualifying merits.

Though the movie took us to a world unknown and unseen, it fell flat as a drama. It used mostly stereotypical characters (except for a little boy; somehow kids shine in Iranian movies), injects a false sense of urgency, and generally manipulates its way to Kandahar. Interestingly the film makers chose to use South Indian Carnatic music base in lieu of real Middle Eastern music. Maybe Klasik, a derived Afghan-Hindustani music, is getting popular in Middle East, as Carnatic Music is in Africa.

A reviewer has to review what he sees, not what he doesn’t. The underlying thought maybe noble, but that doesnt make it a good film, maybe a good documentary.

3/5