Leila

Iranian newlyweds Reza (Ali Mosaffa) and Leila (Leila Hatami) have a warm and loving relationship that quickly chills when Leila discovers she is infertile. While Reza, an only son, tries to assure Leila that it doesn't matter, Reza's manipulative mother (Jamileh Sheikhi) works to convince the emotionally torn bride that Reza is lying, and urges her to convince him to take a second wife. After bringing the pressures of both family and tradition to bear on Leila, the mother-in-law succeeds in arranging a second marriage for her son, but the new union ends up having a devastating effect on Reza and Leila's relationship. A deceptively simple tale, Leila packs quite an emotional punch. Ms. Hatami, a strikingly beautiful actress with dark eyes and a haunting look that alone speaks volumes, gives a subtle performance of enormous emotional depth, and both Mosaffa, and particularly Sheikhi, are similarly well cast. The drama, which takes its time in its 129-minute telling, would have been even more effective with a little narrative tightening here and there, and this scratchy release is somewhat hamstrung by its subtitles, which are rife with grammatical errors. (At one point, Reza, desperate to cheer Leila up, turns to her and chimes, "Life is sweat!" Indeed.) Nevertheless, Leila should not be missed. Highly recommended. (S. C. Sickles)