The co-directors of Ballad of a White Cow, Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha, present a captivating second film that doesn’t disappoint, maintaining the allure of its title. At the centre of the narrative is 70-year-old Mahin (a fantastic portrayal by Lily Farhadpour), a former nurse who’s slowed down with age. Her grown children are away from Iran, communicating with her through regular video calls mixed with background noise of their daily routine and responsibilities.
Mahin’s social circle consists of old friends, with whom she used to gather weekly at the public pool. However, rising costs have curtailed this tradition. These elderly widows congregate during a vibrant dinner party, where the conversation swings from one suggesting to watch her colonoscopy DVD to another recounting an audacious anecdote about getting into a car with a male stranger.
Unfortunately, these monthly reunions have become more sporadic, shifting to once a year due to distance and other constraints. Mahin, who lost her husband thirty years ago, seems to have accepted loneliness and laggard waking hours as her reality. Among other reviews and commentary, the critic raves about Ian McKellen’s remarkable delivery of insults.
However, an old spark may still be lurking within Mahin. Perhaps it was her friend’s daring exploit or a radio segment on robotic companionship that motivated this single septuagenarian to start seeking new experiences. Venturing out, she dares to visit the hotel from her younger days, where she would attend concerts in glamorous attire, quite different from her current conservative outfits and routine footwear. Following that, she makes visits to a park, a bakery, and lastly, a restaurant catering to retirees. It’s at this last venue where she builds a connection with Faramarz (portrayed by Esmail Mehrabi), a single taxi driver.
This is a courageous step for a resident of Tehran; we discover later on that Mahin is fearless, confronting the morality police sternly. To her luck, Faramarz, a former military man who had spent time in jail for playing in a wedding band, mirrors her bravery.
Witnessing their clandestine alcohol-infused rendezvous is a real treat, skillly photographed by cinematographer Mohammad Haddadi. A last-minute plot twist takes the charming meeting into a somewhat unsure territory. Still, this remains a memorable encounter, subtly supported by hushed political dissent and touching observations on being a widow.
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