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When I first heard about a film being made about the life of Omar Khayyam, I was extremely excited. Omar Khayyam is a legend in the world of literature and has made significant contributions to the world of mathematics, astrology and many other fields. Many of his discoveries and words are with us today and affect us on a daily basis. It was high time someone shone the spotlight on his life, so that we could try and live, for a moment, through the eyes of this immortal genius.
Enter Kayvan Mashayekh, first-time director, and Texas native, who, having tried his hand at a more "noble" career like law, decided in the end that he wanted to be a filmmaker.
And not just any film maker. From the beginning, Kayvan decided that his first film would not be about an experience in his life, or a good story he wanted to test out, but rather retelling the unimaginably interesting life of Omar Khayyam. After working on the film for six years, Masheyekh released it in 2005 and has been successful in getting limited screenings in major cities.
I had the honor of seeing this film in the Sunshine Theater at the edge of New York's newly minted LES neighborhood. The night of the screening, the filmmaker made a brief appearance, asking everyone to support his efforts and with that, the film began.
The story revealed two tales in one, one about Khayyam and the second about a young boy in Texas, whose brother is dying from cancer. While the attempt at the parallels and connecting the past to the future were well-intended, at times, there was way too much going on in the film. Just when the Khayyam's life becomes interesting, the audiences is pulled to a cold hospital bed in the presen time and loses all momentum.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the film, as I had heard some not-so-kind reviews of it. My impression was that it was a great effort and kudos to the daring Mashayekh for doing an epic as his first film. I did learn a lot about Khayyam which was new and interesting, and I appreciated the setting, customes and peppered poetry throughout the film.
While it takes a lot of courage to undertake such a big task, it is probably also Mashayekh's biggest mistake. Mashayekh tries to honor heavy topics like cancer and Iranian family relationships, on top of telling the epic tale. In an unbelievably twisted moment, he takes the young character across the ocean with someone else's passport. I could have frankly done without that whole story and would have gladly seen it another time. I also wish the director has used more Persian talent. A look at the main credits reveals a talented group of Italian, American and British names, some of whom were not appropriately cast. Meanwhile, back in LA or New York, a whole host of hot, young Iranian actors and actresses are washing dishes or suggesting fries with that.
Overall, a great effort, thanks and congratulations is due to the whole cast and crew. Hopefully this is a sign of more and better movies to come our way from the ambitious and talented Kayvan Mashayekh.
Thx alot to S R Aziz .
Enter Kayvan Mashayekh, first-time director, and Texas native, who, having tried his hand at a more "noble" career like law, decided in the end that he wanted to be a filmmaker.
And not just any film maker. From the beginning, Kayvan decided that his first film would not be about an experience in his life, or a good story he wanted to test out, but rather retelling the unimaginably interesting life of Omar Khayyam. After working on the film for six years, Masheyekh released it in 2005 and has been successful in getting limited screenings in major cities.
I had the honor of seeing this film in the Sunshine Theater at the edge of New York's newly minted LES neighborhood. The night of the screening, the filmmaker made a brief appearance, asking everyone to support his efforts and with that, the film began.
The story revealed two tales in one, one about Khayyam and the second about a young boy in Texas, whose brother is dying from cancer. While the attempt at the parallels and connecting the past to the future were well-intended, at times, there was way too much going on in the film. Just when the Khayyam's life becomes interesting, the audiences is pulled to a cold hospital bed in the presen time and loses all momentum.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the film, as I had heard some not-so-kind reviews of it. My impression was that it was a great effort and kudos to the daring Mashayekh for doing an epic as his first film. I did learn a lot about Khayyam which was new and interesting, and I appreciated the setting, customes and peppered poetry throughout the film.
While it takes a lot of courage to undertake such a big task, it is probably also Mashayekh's biggest mistake. Mashayekh tries to honor heavy topics like cancer and Iranian family relationships, on top of telling the epic tale. In an unbelievably twisted moment, he takes the young character across the ocean with someone else's passport. I could have frankly done without that whole story and would have gladly seen it another time. I also wish the director has used more Persian talent. A look at the main credits reveals a talented group of Italian, American and British names, some of whom were not appropriately cast. Meanwhile, back in LA or New York, a whole host of hot, young Iranian actors and actresses are washing dishes or suggesting fries with that.
Overall, a great effort, thanks and congratulations is due to the whole cast and crew. Hopefully this is a sign of more and better movies to come our way from the ambitious and talented Kayvan Mashayekh.
Thx alot to S R Aziz .
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