About Elly (Persian: درباره الی, translit. Darbāre-ye Eli) is a 2009 Iranian drama film. It is the fourth movie made by filmmaker Asghar Farhadi. The film explores relationships among middle-class people in Iran.
The movie received high praise from critics. Farhadi won the Silver Bear Award for Best Director at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival. It was also nominated for 10 awards at the 27th Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran. At this festival, Farhadi won the Crystal Simorgh Award for Best Director. About Elly was Iran's entry in the Foreign Film category at the 82nd Academy Awards.
Plot
A group of middle-class Iranians, who were once classmates at a law school, travel to the Caspian Sea for a three-day vacation. The group includes Sepideh, her husband Amir, and their young daughter; Shohreh, her husband Peymān, and their two children, including their son Arash; and Nāzy and her husband Manuchehr. Sepideh, who organized the trip, brings along Elly, the kindergarten teacher of her daughter, to introduce her to Ahmad, a divorced friend visiting from Germany.
At the seaside mansion Sepideh reserved, the woman in charge informs them the owners will return the next day and suggests they stay in a deserted beach-front villa instead. Sepideh lies to the woman about Elly and Ahmad, claiming they are married and on their honeymoon.
Elly is shy but begins to feel interest in Ahmad, who seems to have feelings for her. She calls her mother and lies, saying she is with co-workers at a seaside resort and plans to return to Tehran the next day as scheduled. She also asks her mother not to tell anyone else about her visit.
Sepideh, however, does not want Elly to leave and hides her luggage before going on an errand. One of the mothers asks Elly to watch the children playing at the beach. Later, Arash is found floating in the sea while Elly is missing. Arash is revived, but the group does not know if Elly drowned or left for Tehran. The police are called, and the group continues searching for Elly. They begin to blame each other for the events leading to her disappearance and her presence on the trip.
It is later revealed that Sepideh lied and knew Elly was engaged to a man named Alireza. Sepideh convinced Elly to join the trip to meet Ahmad. Elly initially refused the invitation because she was engaged, but she accepted after pressure from Sepideh. Alireza arrives, attacks Ahmad, and asks Sepideh if Elly had refused the invitation. Sepideh wants to tell the truth to protect Elly’s honor but lies, saying Elly accepted the invitation without hesitation.
A body is found in the water, and Alireza identifies it as Elly in the mortuary, breaking down in tears.
Crew
- Sound recorder: Hassan Zahedi
- Sound mix: Mohammad-Reza Delpak
- Sound editor: Reza Narimizadeh /
Reception
The film received high praise when it was first shown in Iran. One year after its release, it was named the 4th greatest Iranian movie of all time by a group of Iranian critics. A website called Rotten Tomatoes reports that 99% of critics approved of the film, with an average rating of 8.1 out of 10 based on 70 reviews. The website's summary states, "About Elly features strong performances and raises important questions, adding to Asghar Farhadi's successful film career." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 87 out of 100 based on 29 reviews, showing that critics widely praised it.
David Bordwell, a film theorist and critic, called the film a masterpiece. He said, "The story is engaging and raises unusual moral questions, such as how men handle honor and how small actions can hurt others. The film deeply explores the risks of lying to avoid causing pain. However, the less you know about the film before watching it, the better. About Elly should be shown worldwide."
Alissa Simon of Variety wrote, "At first, the film may seem slow or uninteresting, with some characters acting in a rude and disrespectful way. But after a shocking event at the 45-minute mark, the story becomes a suspenseful mystery that reflects the quote, 'What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.'"
Adam Eisenberg, who reviewed the film at the Tribeca Film Festival, compared it to Michelangelo Antonioni's movie L'Avventura. He noted, "While L'Avventura uses symbols to show themes, Farhadi's film uses everyday actions, like a husband asking for more tea or a character showing anger, to comment on a culture where honesty is not always the best choice. Farhadi's style may be more similar to Alfred Hitchcock than to the Iranian New Wave movement."
Christopher Bourne, who saw the film at the Tribeca Film Festival, said, "The strength of Farhadi's writing and direction becomes clear later in the film. As secrets are revealed, the film shows how characters' relationships and the audience's understanding of them change."
Lee Marshall of Screen Daily called the film "one of the most remarkable Iranian films in recent years." He added, "About Elly is a small but powerful story with deep themes. It works as a satisfying drama and also explores big questions about right and wrong, social pressure, and the lies people tell each other."