CHICKEN WITH PLUMS * (Theatrical Release France 2011)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.4|5.0 Stars ìììì

Chicken With Plums—has imagination, heart. It's just a wonderful story, a French film written by an Iranian author who writes with perfect universal appeal. The acting is superb. The story plays out well. It’s one of 2012’s better 4-star films.

Storyline

Violinist Nasser Ali Khan (Mathieu Amalric) loses his desire to play violin and decides to go to bed to die. The process takes exactly 8 days. In those days he reviews the future of his children, why he married his wife, the power of prayer, the angel of death, a long-lost love, and how he became a wonderful violinist.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Directors Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi for their directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers Jeremy Burdek and Nadia Khamlichi for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Azraël (Edouard Baer), Faringuisse (Maria de Medeiros), Irâne (Golshifteh Farahani), Abdi (Éric Caravaca), Lili as an adult (Chiara Mastroianni), Cyrus (Mathis Bour), Lili (Enna Balland), Le maitre de musique (Didier Flamand), Irâne’s Father (Serge Avedikian), Soudabeh (Rona Hartner), and Houshang/Le Mendiant (Jamel Debbouze).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. It’s a piece of allegorical art that relies on its own uniquely rhythmic poetry.

* Also known as: Poulet aux Prunes

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Ben Meyers