Corrupted Hands

Most Iranian films that make it to these shores fall squarely in the category of art house and are often sluggishly paced, which may lead one to wonder whether Iranians simply have a much more developed attention span. This week, however, we get a look at a more mainstream Iranian film, a heist drama that wouldn't feel out of place in Hollywood if remade in English. Corrupted Hands, also known as Polluted Hands or Corrupt Hands (the film's official Web site refers to it by all three names) tells the story of Siamak, a wedding cinematographer who plans to rob the next ceremony he works with the help of his sister Diba and his brother Nader. Unbeknown to Siamak, his own father-in-law-to-be has enlisted a hood named Bad Nasser (sort of an Iranian Vinnie Jones) to tail Siamak, and of course Nasser wants in on the loot. And since Iran has stricter rules about what can and can't be depicted onscreen than Hollywood ever did under the Hays Code, we can be sure that crime will not pay. It's even insinuated that a lack of family values led Siamak and company to crime -- Siamak himself is an orphan, and his sister is divorced. While it's odd to see a film that seems straight out of Cagney-era Hollywood in a contemporary foreign setting, it's certainly not displeasing. Those who don't expect every Persian film to make a bold statement should have a perfectly fine time.