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Too much of everything

How sad is this?

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

"Secret Ballot (Raye makhfi)" should be required viewing in every class in the country that deals with civics, government, and social studies (it wouldn't hurt the kids to read the subtitles). And it wouldn't hurt for policy makers who mouth off about allies while ignoring lack of democracy to see this too. The story is simple -- an idealistic government agent is sent to get as many votes as possible by 5 pm on a desert island (I didn't even know Iran has such islands, let alone that they are populated.) The agent is accompanied by a resentful, cynical soldier. On this unique road trip of a scavenger hunt they each are changed in subtle ways by each other and the wide variety of characters they meet up with who deal with their first exposure to them, to voting and to a secret ballot in a variety of complex ways that are beyond American experiences.The movie vividly demonstrates the physical,logistical, psychological, political and social challenges of bringing some semblance of democracy to other cultures, let alone to the Mideast. While the amateur actors keep this from having an emotional Hollywood satisfaction so it feels more like a docudrama/comedy, their reality (including the obvious censorship restrictions) brings it all home anyway. (originally written 9/2/2002)

This is perhaps the fourth or fifth Iranian film I've seen and they areall have been quite poignant and... different. I must admit I wasinitially curious as to the content and tone knowing that this is avery supressed and controlled culture -- but once again, withSecret Ballot , here is a film that takes a very ordinary situation andbrings great humor and pathos to it. I know some reviewers takeissue with the director's propensity for long shots where the actionis taking place almost out of your view (like the arrest of thesmugglers on their boat) and keeping the camera in place whenthe actors leave or, have not entered that space as of yet ,--but Ifind these techniques somehow consistent with the rhythm andpace of the film. I enjoyed it and recommend it as I do most foreignfilms that offer an insight into a culture and a people...bycomparison with most of the Hollywood dribble that passes for"entertainment."

Comments to be checked and sent for approval Possible spelling mistakes: Raye makhfi Babak Payami Abidi Nassim Abdi Please return to the edit window (or use the BACK option if this isn't a new window) to return to the previous page in order to make corrections.Your comments will be displayed as follows: Please remember to hit the button below to actually send the comments!Red-125 Upstate New YorkDate: 12 May 2003 Summary: Not really a comedy--democracy starts here.Secret Ballot [Raye makhfi (2001)]is another Iranian film about a strong, determined young woman. As written and directed by Babak Payami, the film is far more than a comedy. This movie takes us through a day on an almost- deserted island, where two bored soldiers are stationed on the beach to watch for smugglers.Suddenly a large box is dropped by parachute. Inside are a ballot box and orders directing the soldiers to accompany and assist an election agent. The soldier--played well by Cyrus Abidi--is astonished when he learns the agent is a woman. Nassim Abdi, who plays the agent, has a difficult part, made more difficult by the fact that she must communicate her emotions to the viewer while swathed in the forbidding garments required for women--even election agents-- in this Muslim land.The plot of the film involves the interaction between the agent and the potential voters she meets on the island, as well as her interaction with the young soldier.The Secret Ballot is an intensely moving, sometimes humorous, sometimes sad movie. Secret Ballot is not your lightweight Hollywood road movie. It is a glimpse into another culture, and into the hearts and minds of two people who are doing their best to lead moral and productive lives in a situation where this goal is not easy to accomplish.

I liked Secret ballot. It's similar to most Iranian films (even though it was written/directed by an Iranian/Canadian from Toronto) as it takes this wildly simplistic idea and then forms a story around it.Secret Ballot is about a lot of things: the chaotic election process in Iran, the women/men relationships there, the isolation of rural areas and the role of women in Iranian society. That's four, you could probably find more if you wanted. A woman college age shows up at an outpost remote from cities and people and takes a sloth like soldier along looking for people willing to vote. It's harder to find voters than she thinks it might be as a lot of folks just don't want anything to do w/ the woman or casting a vote for the democracy that she touts ceaselessly. Secret Ballot has a good deal of sly, quiet moments and its this intelligent astuteness that I liked the most about it. I also enjoyed the harsh, remote terrain the film is set. The entire cast is full of non-pros who have never acted before and they do a fine job and are natural throughout. I especially liked the soldier who seems almost catatonic he's so slow talking. This is a very typical Iranian film: simple, slowish, extremely long and drawn out takes and full of non actors and real people. Plus it's a sly satire that has its own charms.