Subdued (film) - Toronto

Hamid Nematollah burst onto the scene with Boutique, a revelation that drew strong performances from two of Iranian cinema’s young and upcoming stars at the time: Mohamadreza Golzar and Golshifteh Farahani, and showed a penchant for emotionally raw portrayals of romantic relationships. His fourth film, Subdued, is a richer film in the same forte, with a sensational performance from international superstar Leila Hatami. Tapping into the history of Iranian romantic melodrama, Subdued tells the story of Mina (Hatami), a recent divorcee who falls for Kamran (Tahami), but unforeseen circumstances befall this unconsummated love. Nematollah’s smart direction, the stunning cinematography by Farshad Mohammadi and Hatami’s electric performance have all won raves for a film that has become one of the biggest box office and critical hits of the year in Iran.