Just what is going on in Hit the Road? A mystery infuses this whimsical family drama, written and directed by Panah Panahi (making his feature film debut).
We’re on a cross country road trip in Iran with a mother, father, elder son and younger son. Where they’re going is unclear. But there are many stops along the way. Dad (Mohammad Hassan Madjooni) has a broken leg and is on crutches. Apparently, it has been that way for five months. The elder son (Amin Simiar) – who is at least 20 – is at the wheel and says very little. In fact, he is not very expressive, although his driving skills are constantly being questioned by his father. The younger son, Rayan Sarlak, (perhaps aged four or five) is his antithesis – an Energiser bunny who can’t stop talking or sit still.
The one instruction all have been given is not to bring any mobile phones – but the youngster has smuggled one into the car. Now he’s distraught that his mother is making sure that the phone is buried. Also, in the car with them is a sick dog that Dad rescued and that the boy is attached to. He doesn’t realise what the trip is really about. The parents have sold their house to fund the dangerous journey. Mum (Pantea Panahiha) understands why they need to do it, but she’s highly emotional about it.
This is a family that hurls insults at one another and yet cares deeply for each other. In the case of the parents, much of their thoughts and feelings are expressed in their eyes. A sense of yearning accompanies this film. I longed to learn more about the characters. Much is left unsaid and it is up to the audience to interpret or read between the lines.
What struck me immediately were the naturalistic performances. Mohammad Hassan Madjooni brings a comic gruffness to his role. Pantea Panahiha is empathetic and caring. A scene late in the piece where a single teardrop forms in the corner of her left eye speaks volumes. The real revelation for me was Rayan Sarlak. What a performance! What a find! Lively. Precocious. Immensely talented.
Compliments, too, to the cinematographer Amin Jafari, who captures expressions and landscapes magnificently. A rocky mountain range early on is particularly evocative. As we reach the film’s conclusion, one sequence even nods to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
While Hit the Road is slow-moving, Panahi has crafted a thoughtful and engaging work, which thrusts him onto the world stage as a filmmaker to be watched.
Alex First
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Alex First is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.