An Iranian film titled The Book of Law that took me very much by surprise
with its puckish and at time Woody Allen type humor. It is a real treat.
A small group of NGO Iranians visit Beirut each year for a meaningless meeting
that allows them to eat well and enjoy the sights for a few days before heading
back to Tehran. Rahman is a middle aged balding gentleman who has a mother.
aunts and a pair of sisters at home constantly looking for a worthy wife
for him. But instead he becomes mezmerized by Juliet, a lovely blond Lebanese
Christian translator who can quote the great Persian poets. Back home, Rahman
pines for her and returns to look for her - only to discover that she has
converted to Islam and loves him. They marry and go home where the fireworks
begin between Juliet, now renamed to Amanam, and the women folk in Rahman's
household who look on her as an outsider (who shockingly wore shorts when
she was ten years old!). Matters aren't helped when Amanam begins showing
them the falsity of their ways by quoting the Koran at them. Very much a
gentle humorous poke in the eye of hypocracy, intolerance and how religion
is practiced, one has to be a bit surprised that this got past the Iranian
censors - but maybe they have a sense of humor too (hmmm doubtful). Underneath
the humor though grows a surprisingly poignant love story which is what really
makes the story special. See it if you can.
