‘Tatami Review: Searing IranianIsraeli Sports Drama Delivers An Especially Timely Punch

At a time of war and deep division in the Middle East, the film, directed by an Israeli and an Iranian, is a triumph in itself. But Tatami, a gripping sports drama about a judo champion whose career is threatened by the Iranian government during an international tournament, is more than just a promising collaboration between two directors from different sides of the conflict.

Set on an exhilarating day at the World Championships in Tbilisi, Tatami - whose title refers to the mats on which judokas compete - is both a gripping story about an athlete trying to win gold for the first time, and a heated political history. discussion. A thriller that tells the story of Iranian women who were harassed, intimidated and ultimately kidnapped by an authoritarian regime in their country. Brilliantly directed and acted, co-directed and winner of the Best Actress award at Cannes, Zar Amir Ebrahimi ( Holy Spider ) is a triumph both in front of and behind the camera.

Shot in black and white by cinematographer Todd Martin ( The Rookie ), who uses Oscar-winning aspect ratios to give the drama a claustrophobic feel, Tatami features some of the hallmarks of classic boxing films like Body and Soul or The Staging of Der Fighter stars. the talent is suppressed by the dark forces outside the ring while taking blows inside. Here, those forces are political agents sent to Tbilisi to prevent national champion Leila Hosseini (a formidable Arien Mundy, Chilean-Iranian-American actress) from participating in a tournament that could end in fighting and potentially lose, and that lasts too long . . the current Israeli champion Shani Lavi (Lir Katz).

Instead of fighting for the masses, Hosseini was forced to surrender for the sake of Iran's glory. He refuses to do so and wins match after match, increasing the pressure on his coach Maryam (Amir Ebrahimi) and her husband (Ash Golde) at home. Her decision transforms Tatami into a compelling story of women versus men, athletes versus government agents, and freedom versus oppression.

It's also an interesting sports film with an interesting female point of view. Layla is a bull in the arena, taking down her opponents with spectacular kicks (or whatever they're called in Judo) that look like she pulled them out of a hat. She was also a loving mother and wife, a fact that was put to the test when authorities began harassing her family and pressuring her to surrender before she reached the final stage.

Maryam has also been criticized both as Leila's old coach and as a daughter whose father was quickly arrested and even beaten, forcing her to act on behalf of the regime. The well-structured plot (directed by Gai Nativ and Elham Erfani) reveals that Maryam herself may have lost a tournament when she was at the peak of her career, making her internal conflict even more acute.

The film's tense atmosphere reaches its peak as Layla nears the final act, taking several hits as government thugs, along with the rest of her team, tighten their grip on her. Yuval Orr's dynamic editing keeps the action moving, switching between different angles - including that of a tournament official played by Jaime Ray Newman - while Martin's roving camera takes us in and out of the ring for most of the film . located in one place.

In a typical action movie, an underdog like Layla would end up winning no matter what and winning the title despite her government doing everything to stop it. The fact that the filmmakers chose a different outcome is positive and significant, and highlights the grueling political situation that Leila and Maryam face. In Tatami , winning isn't about getting gold, it's about deciding which side you're on. , although much else was lost in the process.