One. Two. One - One horror can change everything.

Review

Film: One. Two. One

Director: Mania Akbari

Country: Iran

One. Two. One is told through a series of conversations and focuses on the aftermath of an acid attack on the central character Ava by her jealous cousin who had wanted to marry her but has become angry when he sees her with her boyfriend Mani. 

In some ways, the film almost seems uncinematic, being little more than a series of linked talking heads. Each scene focuses in close up on the faces of one or two people, the camera occasonally moving from side to side to scan from face to face but often static. However, although at first thought it almost seems it might be better suited to theatre, you wouldn't be able to get the same focus on the minute expressions on the faces in that medium.

For a film like this to work, it needs a high standard of acting. The central performance from Neda Amiri is incredible and brings Ava to life as a fully rounded character.  There is no wallowing in her fate, but there is a mixture of despair and sadness, as well as determination and humour, pessimisim and optimisim. There is also an incredible humanity to her performance which makes her seem both universal and deeply unique.

Although the central feeling is one of sadness and barely repressed anger, there is also humour on occasion, particularly as the world around the characters intrudes on them, often from off camera.

The film is an excellent character study, and a moving and interesting journey as Ava finds acceptance of what happened to her and a really interesting and successful look at the ongoing knock on effects of a single tragedy.