Since its debut at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, Bahman Ghobadi’s “A Time for Drunken Horses” has inspired a heap of critical commentary, and the film has now officially been selected as Iran’s entry into the 2001 Academy Awards race. “Horses,” which has been honored with the widest U.S. release of any Iranian film ever, has also received special notice from Telluride, Toronto, and the Chicago Film Festival.
But is it any good?
Well, the L.A. Times calls it “haunting and unforgettable,” but they seem to say that about a lot of movies, and the Boston Globe adds that it will “stay with you for years,” but speech impediments and rashes are likely to do the same…so, most importantly, what does Film Threat think? The story is “dismal” and, at times, “snooze-inducing,” but the cinematography alone, which places the stark poverty of an Iranian village against breathtaking natural beauty, makes “Horses” worth taking a look at. Read the full [ Film Threat Review ] here.
