MAMA'S GUESTS

Iran, 2004, 107 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Dariush Mehrjuie.

Mama's Guests is an enjoyable comedy. It begins like an Iranian version of Keeping Up Appearances with the matriarch of the household trying to make a good impression on everyone, not wanting to be embarrassed by her family, having guests to dinner and making elaborate preparations, all of which seem to be going wrong. Then the film turns into an Iranian version of Babette's Feast as everybody starts to provide for the meal, they all prepare it in common and enjoy a celebration where everybody is respected and honoured. In the background are a range of eccentric stories about the neighbours. It ends with a touch of Carry On Hospital as the matriarch collapses at the end of the dinner. However, there is a happy ending.

The film moves at a brisk pace, delineates its characters well, everything dominated by the matriarch. It says a lot about Iranian sense of community, that despite all the difficulties, everybody can gather together and enjoy the feast. It also gives some background into aspects of Teheran society, the father and his being an extra in films and working in the cinema, the eccentric young chemist downstairs with his experiments, the wealthy drug addict who visits his family to get food for the feast and his pregnant wife, the eccentric old refugee who makes a great deal of noise and is overly sensitive but enjoys everything. The film was very popular in its native Iran.

1. A popular entertainment? Character study? A portrait of a community, clashes and coming together, especially in celebration and with food and a feast?

2. The film generally confined to the compound, the rooms, the courtyard? The glimpses of the streets, the wealthy home, the shop and the warehouse, the hospital? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score?

3. The title and its focus on the mother, the visit, the guests, the celebration?

4. The editing and pace, the range of characters, each of their stories, the interactions? The drama, melodrama, comedy?

5. The mother, her age and experience, not having money, not having anything much in the house for food and a feast? Her worry about keeping up appearances? Clashes with the neighbours, friendliness with the neighbours? Her children? Her husband and rousing on him? Her esteem for her guests, her sister and her wealth and not wanting to make odious comparisons? Her fuss, cleaning the house and the courtyard, trying to find the food, sending the boy to get more food, ring the husband, his bringing only a watermelon and bread? The continued fluster, helping her neighbours, wondering what to do?

6. The guests, the policeman, not wanting to be called Sergeant, his wife? Their wanting to leave, their good manners, enjoying the feast?

7. The husband, his film work, stuntman, his knowledge of films, his friends coming, the closing down of the cinema, their meeting? The young boy, going for the messages, driving the car without permission, sneaking back, going to get the poultry with his friend from the warehouse, the father chasing them, later coming with the food (after his friend got a black eye)? His going with the drug addict to their home, the motorbike, the range of food that they received? The young girl, her infatuation with the pharmacist, calling him Doctor, continually going to get answers to her questions? The goldfish and the cat wounding it, the pharmacist sewing it up and everybody's satisfaction?

8. The neighbours: the old lady, her story about the camps, her making the meatballs, their not eating them, sensitive, coming back, dressing up in her finery? The drug addict and his cracking walnuts, beating his wife, her pregnancy, the reconciliation, his going to his family, spurning his mother, his father wanting to give him everything, his mother partly relenting? The wife and her work, fainting? The pharmacist, his laboratory, wanting to create something that would change the world, answering the daughter's questions, helping with the food? His dancing and enjoyment of the party, dressing up with the tie? The other neighbours, looking out their windows, the helpful neighbour with the rosewater, the men repairing the electric lines and their participating in the feast?

9. The cooking, the preparation, the detail? The lavish feast, more than the mother would have hoped for? Her collapse, taking her to the hospital? The pharmacist and the addict coming home and doing the cleaning up?

10. The Carry On Hospital appendix to the film? The race to the hospital, treating the mother, everybody flustered and shouting, the old woman and her lament, the pharmacist wanting the addict to go to the doctor, his dancing in the corridor?

11. The mother and her recovery, going back home, the end of a happy day, the couple staying over?

12. The film's comment on the big cities with the images behind the credits, drained of colour? The comment that the cities were becoming impersonal, people not helping one another? The throwback to good old days of communities, despite their clashes, helping one another in times of need? The consequent celebration, reconciliations, happiness?