Guy Nattiv has a gift for conveying urgent, sociopolitical messages via brilliant, no-holds-barred filmmaking. I loved his searing white supremacy drama Skin, which he followed with the award-winning Golda, and now he brings us the gift that is Tatami, a dramatic thriller he co-directs with Zar Amir (who also stars as one of the leads) and co-writes with Elham Erfani.
It’s been a while since I’ve sat through an experience this emotionally intense. The sports drama, revolving around a Judo tournament, takes backstage to the central dilemma, and Nattiv, along with his gifted team, relentlessly keep raising the stakes. If Tatami isn’t one of the major contenders come awards season, I forfeit my job as a critic.
Shot in stark, gorgeous black-and-white by cinematographer Todd Martin, the plot revolves around Leila (Arienna Mandi), as she vies for Iran’s first gold medal at the World Judo Championship in Tbilisi. Supported by her coach, Maryam (Amir), she’s crushing it, taking down opponent after opponent, until politics inevitably get in the way.
In Tatami, Arienne Mandi portrays Leila, an Iranian judoka facing impossible choices beyond the mat.
“…Leila vies for Iran’s first gold medal at the World Judo Championship…”
A “direct order from the supreme leader’s office” arrives, forcing her to withdraw before she has a chance to face off against an Israeli fighter. Despite the very real threats to her family, her future, and the livelihood of everyone around her, she refuses. “What do you think your stubbornness will fix?” Maryam demands. “Watch me,” Leila replies fiercely.
And what a show she puts on. Her fight morphs into one against the regime, her opponents just pawns that raise the stakes. Setting the entire narrative around that one event was a brilliant decision; the stadium becomes both a haven and a prison. Mandi commands attention, going through a gamut of emotions, and taking us along for the ride.
The filmmakers skillfully string together moments by turns suspenseful, poignant, and rousing: Leila has 20 minutes to lose 0.3kg; infuriated, she slams her forehead against the bathroom mirror until blood runs down her face; the screen goes black during one of the fights; Leila overcoming a panic attack mid-tournament and takes off her hijab… The list goes on, as there’s nary a misstep.
Judo is a unique sport, all about getting the opponent off-balance. The filmmakers similarly keep the audience off-balance for the duration of this impeccable drama. An indictment of a regime but also a look at the strength that perseveres despite the most dire circumstances, this film, and its lead star, deserve all the upcoming love at the award circuit… if there’s any justice left in Hollywood, that is.
"…keeps the audience off-balance for the duration of this impeccable drama"
