sanjin_9632 When I first heard about this, I thought it was going to be a documentary, because I wouldn't have expected Jon Stewart to tackle a biographical feature. There's a lot of things wrong with this movie. For example, when I envision detainment in an Iranian prison, this is certainly not the way I'd imagine it. Too soft. My portrayal of the treatment of alleged spies in Islamic countries would probably be much worse. He was detained for almost 4 months, which in terms of sentencing, and *doing time* in general isn't considered a real sentence. The only scene which sort of seemed authentic is when the *torturer* threatened to shoot Gael, but it would've been better if he'd done the same thing for a week and not just once.All in all, it's a nice little story. After reading up on Maziar Barhadi, I'm not quite sure what to think. Who knows if someone's really a spy or not? He could've just as easily been a spy, still. This movie is very light, romanticized, liberal propaganda. I'm giving this movie a 4.8/10 just because it's low budget. Sort of.

bob the moo Many years ago an Iranian journalist called Maziar Bahari was interviewed by Jason Jones as part of a bit for the Daily Show. When that same journalist was later arrested and held for supposedly being part in a Western-led coordination of protests against the Government, this section of the show was a part of the evidence used against him, since it appeared to show him meeting with a spy. As a viewer of the Daily Show, the repeated mentions of the film made me interested to see it – not to mention that the time away from the show for Stewart already had the bonus of helping John Oliver get his own show over on HBO. Anyway, the story, and the chance to see the outcome of this period away for Stewart, made me interested to see it when it finally reached the UK or a limited release.The film opens with Bahari's arrest, and then flashed back to the events in Iran that led up to this, including the aforementioned interview. As a structure it is interesting because it does fill out the events at the time, and also some of the history of the character's family (which also serves as a way of accessing the recent history of Iran in some small ways). In the telling there are a few rather clumsy devices in there, and also at times a strange mix of drama and humor; not all of it works particularly well, and the second half of the film specifically seems a bit too earnest and straight in its telling. The torture and detainment toys with showing the horror, and also showing the boredom, fear, and longing, but all of these things are played equally and as a result it seems a bit too "normal" in terms of delivery. As the film progressed the more it became about events, and when the detainment is continuing, there are not so many "events" to engage, and surprisingly I found the film a little padded and lacking in edge and emphasis in the second half.The use of foreign actors to play Iranians has been mentioned, but generally whatever their nationality the cast play the roles well within the confines of Stewart's direction. Garcia Bernal is a good presence in the lead role; likewise Bodnia works well in the second half – although neither really get to make a huge impact due to the slight flat or sincere tone of the film. Supporting turns are solid from Aghdashloo, Leonidas, Bilginer and others – albeit again, some of them are rather hampered by what the film is doing. Technically the film looks good, and has some good shots, but it does consistently lack an impact – particularly in the second half (which is really where it should have enabled some great scenes between Bodnia and Bernal).It is an interesting film, but not a wholly successful one. The first half is event driven and engages as it tells a personal story with links to a much bigger one, but the whole second half of the film lacks impact and emphasis – feeling a little bit too earnest and surprisingly lacking in a clear voice as to what it is telling.

LeonLouisRicci Here's Hoping that Satirist and now Film Writer/Director Jon Stewart has Compensated for the Guilt He must have Felt after a Segment on "The Daily Show" Indirectly or perhaps Directly led to the Arrest of Journalist Maziar Bahari in Iran on the Charges of being a Spy (that was play-acted in the TV Show segment).Stewart Shows some Flair for Cinema in the First Half with some Effective, if Artsy Arrangements of Images Superimposed on Landscapes that is a Surreal Opening to an all too Real Second Half. Also, it is the First Half of the Movie that Grips with its Diving into the Counter Culture of Iran's Youth Movement, its Braggadocio and Behavior that almost Begs for Attention from the Police State.After the Controversial Election and its Aftermath of Riots that Journalist Bahari is Covering and His immediate Arrest and Imprisonment, the Film Takes a much more Sombre Tone and the Filmmaking Flourishes and maybe even its Purpose is Succumbed by the Interrogation and Captivity Scenes. Although Stewart shows some Ability to alleviate some Boredom with Flashbacks and Dream Sequences, by the Third Act the Movie does Feel like it has Run its Course of Insight and Criticism of the Iranian Political System. Overall, it is a Story Worth Watching and Remembering, still very Topical, and it's a Solid, if Wanting, Effort from Jon Stewart.Political enough, Artistic enough, and Profound enough to be Recommended and Despite its Low Budget Limitation is Better than the Best Picture Winner of a Few Years Back that also was Set In Iran, Albeit in the 1970's.

scurvytoon How do you tell the story of interrogation, the breaking of the spirit, the finding of resistance and the desire to survive? Rosewater is a good answer. John Stewart the satirist and news anchor to a generation of Americans makes his serious film début by walking away from the usual balloon bursting of his show to take the bull by the horns and show us through imaginative devices like the deceased family of the journalist,flashbacks, a particularly moving moment with Leonard Cohen and straight narrative, how the mind is the strongest muscle in the human body if we allow it.Modern journalism and the politics of dictatorship clash briefly to set up the main story, a two man play starring interrogator and prisoner. This is not a documentary about the Green revolution, nor is it a touchy feely film about family. John Stewart takes the book Then They Came for Me by Maziar Bahari & Aimee Molloy and focuses on the core material around the detention of the journalist by Iranian authorities. If you compare Rosewater to any number of films that focus even a little bit on interrogation, even in the recently democratic central and eastern Europe, the film stands up well to stories done often by the tortured themselves. Physical brutality is rare in this film and if we are to believe the writers were prepared to make Iran look bad they could have really laid it on thick, yet unlike some US film makers who sacrifice the basic facts for a bit of gore and propaganda, John Stewart stuck to the head games and did it well.I suspect doing the Daily Show might be getting a bit old for him what with the recent reaction to his material on Gaza. I hope he makes the transition full time soon, he'll be a great addition to the pantheon of directors tackling issues with the same razor sharp intellect he uses in his comedy.