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"I was surprised by the depth and quality of this film. The Hidden is about a woman who finds out a female activist is in jail and about to be executed. Not to give anything a way- she does what she can to free this woman. This is a wonderful tail of secrets, love, passion, advocacy, and care I have ever seen. What was also beautiful was the city itself- set in beautiful Iran. This movie also shows that women are treated respectably and can educate themselves. That they have their own way of expressing addressing their own issues and that we as westerners need to let them do that- with our support. I would not change anything in this movie. The DVD has chapter selections but your better off watching the whole movie scene by scene or you will skip a lot of information."
Khomeini-Apologists Don't Like It. It must be a good movie.
A Professor | USA | 04/29/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Given that Paul Sheldon Foote condemns this movie (while all
others are are for it), tells a lot about the movie: it must be
a good one.
Any time a movie or a book is praised by ordinary individuals but
condemned by (religious) fascim or their supporters, then
rest assured the item in question is a good one.
A recurring theme in Paul Sheldon Foote's writings is to
condemn any democratic opposition to the terrorist dictatorship
ruling in Iran. Thus anything (a movie, a book, a
short article, etc) that is critical of the religious facsim
in Iran is sure to be attacked by Paul Foote. This item is of
no exception.
That's why I strongly recommend it."
Simple ideas can create beautiful movies
Laudan Tehrani | Charlotte, NC United States | 11/14/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I am a big fan of foreign films, but more so of Iranian cinema than others. I am half Iranian and my only setback is I need the subtitles to go along with any of the movies that interest me.
In this movie, the subtitles are sometimes practically invisible to read and yet the acting ( especially by Niki Karimi ) is so real and superb, you can almost draw on what emotions are behind the words. It threw me for a loop this film, mostly because I didn't have any clue what I was about to experience when I put in this DVD. What came about was a really ineteresting movie about secrets, and hidden pasts, and the things and people who shape and help our lives. Just when I thought I'd seen the last of the surprises, this movie surprised me again. I don't want to give away how nice and refeshing it is to see a love story in the most innocent of expressions, no nudity, and no sex. And Iran certainly doesn't invest alot of money into their movie making budgets and it proves that you don't always need these common things to produce a really great movie.
I can say this, there are some movies ( Iranian films ) that just lose my attention or I have to force myself to sit through, and there are others; such as The Hidden Half that you can't even imagine missing for a moment.
I really reccomend this film to anyone who wants to see a well made film. Good acting and and a good story.
And when you finish this one, here are some other great Iranian movies to see:
The Color of Paradise
Children of Heaven
Leila"
Hidden half of a womans life
Kristen Benevides | ct usa | 04/15/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"i enjoyed reading about the history of irans revolution if another review but disagree with the rating. the movie was not about the revolution and uprising. although it failed to show this, it was ok, because it was not meant to. the movie was about one womans life, and how her past was able to save another woman from being executed by a wrong decision her judge-husband would make. the movie was a narrated history of the womans past from tehran university and her activities being involved in a resistance group, and the small bits of uprising you see are all you need, as the movie wasnt meant to depict the issues of the time, only this womans story. in telling her story to her conservative husband through a notebook or diary she snuck in his suitcase when he went on a trip, she attempts to allow her husband a view into her past which is probably not what he would have expected of her. i thought the film was a good story, and it also showed a twist of fate within the story, because she finds out her own truths about an older love interest from her past."
Highly Worthwhile Film from a Courageous Director
John McCormick | 61°12' N, 149°49' W | 01/02/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm no movie expert, but after viewing this film I feel moved to write to tell you that it is worth every bit of time to view it. In a world where a woman is supposed to be a blank slate at marriage, the director portrays one woman's desire to have her life before marriage acknowledged. In doing so, she hopes to convince her husband, a judge charged with hearing the appeal of a woman sentenced to death for expressing herself, to see that this woman, who only appears at the very end of the film, could be his wife, his daughter, or his mother. Much of the film portrays the judge's wife's recollections, and some of the activities and organizations portrayed seem to have distracted at least one of the other reviewers here. At some points, subtitling is lost in white backgrounds, but this happens infrequently. Even with any minor flaws, this is a powerfully moving film. And, for Americans, it's just a little glimpse of life of a people in a country of which we hear little good. Could the director also be asking us to see Iranians as people, and not mere Islamic crazies as many in power here would have us think? See this movie."