First Hit: Interestingly odd film by a filmmaker who is not allowed to make films in his country.
Jafar Panahi is an Iranian filmmaker who is banned from making films by his government. What the audience sees is film about the people who come into his taxi.
These people bring different social situations into the cab, share them and either get dropped off or transferred to another taxi. Part of the film is genius in showing how life is in Iran and also the repression of his art.
His passengers include a thief and an intelligent woman discussing a subject, a man who deals in bootlegged DVDs, a couple where the husband is hurt and the woman will lose everything to his family if he dies so she wants a testament that she gets everything, superstitious women carrying live fish to a sacred stream, his niece who wants to make a film but cannot show the one she’s made because a boy did not follow the religious laws of the country, and so on.
Although at times the voices and their intensity were grating (except his) at other times we are treated to interesting dialogue all while driving through the streets of Tehran.
Jafar Panahi is the only credit on the film and he’s interesting and very centered despite the chaos around him.
Overall: The pros definitely outweigh the cons.