CinemaSerf

Rating:7/10

"Insp. Majidi" (Payman Maadi) has been on the trail of local drug lord "Khakzad" (David Mohammadzadeh) for quite a while but he's proved to be quite elusive. It's not just that the guy has covered his tracks efficiently, it's that he also knows how to make sure his underlings keep their mouths shut and that he can play the legal game for all it's worth. When the increasingly exasperated policeman eventually gets a lead that involves a large shipment of drugs, he senses a victory that, as it gets closer, proves not as sweet as he might have anticipated. This isn't just a cops and robbers story, it's illustrative of the ingenious ways people find to smuggle large quantities of drugs - frequently at some danger to the courier - and the two principal characters have an increasing depth that director Saeed Roustayi allows to evolve like a good, simmering, stew over two hours. Both men have their stories and though one is clearly less scrupulous about methods, both want what is best for their family and both will do what is necessary to protect not just their present but their future too. The plot is littered with tales of addiction, corruption and duplicity but there's also some honour to be found here and what's soon clear is that it's also best for nobody to assume the loyalty of anyone else - friend or foe - as the stakes become, quite literally, life or death. In the end, this isn't a simple scenario of right over wrong, and it certainly is a challenging and intellectually complex drama to watch.

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