Rosewater

In 2009, satirical news show The Daily Show conducted an interview with film-maker and journalist Maziar Bahari. Not long afterwards, Bahari was arrested for his connections with the west, the interview serving as just one of the pieces of evidence against him. After meeting with Bahari after his release, Daily Show host Jon Stewart was motivated to translate his story into a film, which became Rosewater.

During the 2009 Iranian presidential election, Maziar Bahari (Gael García Bernal) sees the lack of confidence in the people for current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He's interviewed by comedian Jason Jones (Himself) from The Daily Show in a harmless enough satirical interview, and after Ahmadinejad wins the election, Bahari films the protests that follow. Soon afterwards, Bahari is arrested by a man who smells distinctly of rosewater (Kim Bodnia). He is accused of communicating with American spies, and is incarcerated for 118 days in squalid conditions and under interrogation. 

The story behind Stewart's directorial début is clearly very close to him. Bahari's ordeal is presented through an insightful, and often witty screenplay, but Stewart shies away from too many dark themes. Whether these are required or not, Rosewater certainly feels a bit too 'safe' for a film of it's subject matter. It's at times difficult to empathise with Bahari, not because of cultural-differences or personality conflicts (Quite the opposite. He's portrayed as a very gentle, caring person), but because some of the film-making choices simply dislocate the audience from the character. The often shaky camera work and frequent fast cuts simply don't allow anything to linger on the screen long enough for much of an emotional response. Although I must say, all of these points were not as much of an issue in the second half of the film, perhaps suggesting that the unique tone of Rosewater takes some getting used to.

As I mentioned before, much of the film seems to have been shot handheld, which certainly gives it the stylistic feel of a freely moving journalist. But whilst it's never particularly noticeable or distracting, it became a bit bland after a while. Other parts of the film are shot from low angles, particularly the interrogation scenes, but this too becomes banal. With a tight budget and filming on-location, some of this is understandable but I feel they could have made some more creative filmic choices. On the flip side of things, there are some truly beautiful shots here, such as the introductory montage and many of the establishing shots. The influence of the news and social media on Bahari's outcome is also certainly not understated, with some very effective graphics and montages that add an additional layer to the film. 

Kim Bodnia, whom I first encountered in the extremely well-made Danish/Swedish crime series Bron/Broen (or The Bridge) has the ability to convey the precise tone of each scene with each of his brooding looks. He's one of those underused actors that certainly deserves more attention. I wasn't so sure about Bernal as Bahari at the start of the film, but like the film itself, he improved dramatically over the course of the movie. Shohreh Aghdashloo is also on-point with her poignant portrayal of Bahari's mother's suffering, and I must say that Jason Jones is incredibly accurate in his role as Jason Jones. As for the rest of the cast, well I can't really say anything positive so I shan't say anything at all.

Rosewater is a damn fine attempt at a first film from Stewart. His personal connection with the story and Bahari himself certainly allows him to paint an emotionally coherent portrait of the man and his suffering. But on the other-hand, it lacks the subtle approach that we have come to expect from human-interest films, whilst not really pushing any creative boundaries. It straddles the line between "safe" and innovative film-making.