A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

"Septembers of Shiraz" one of my most favorite movies, is a touchy example of the 'Summary' stated above. You can say, it has forced me to realize this real life truth.This movie is a dramatization version of a famous award winning novel:"The Septembers of Shiraz (2007) is a critically acclaimed debut novel by Iranian American author 'Dalia Sofer.' It narrates the lives of a well-to-do Iranian family during and after the Iranian revolution which additionally overthrew the Shah and ushered in the Islamic republic." ................(Wikipedia)Directed by 'Wayne Blair', Screenplay from 'Hanna Weg' and mind blowing appearances of the stars like 'Salma Hayek' & 'Adrien Brody' a perfect 'Thriller' was released on June 24, 2016 in the USA.From my point of view there is nothing so much there for saying or reviewing rather than watching the movie full length at a time. I'm pretty much sure that it will thrill you away. Here I'm just pointing at some major issues relevance with this film.It's Plot reflects that - While ruling Parties were marginalized or outlawed, Social and political protest was often met with censorship, surveillance, or harassment. Along with illegal detention and torture were common.Adrien Brody and Salma Hayek are none-too-convincing Tehran Jews caught up in the Iranian Revolution in this adaptation of Dalia Sofer's bestseller - "Septembers of Shiraz".Jeweler Isaac (Adrien Brody) is a self-made man who considers himself apolitical, he and his wife, Farnez (Salma Hayek), got rich catering to the royals and their cronies. Their teenage son, Parviz (Jamie Ward), is packed off to boarding school in the U.S., in effect fleeing the political turmoil like many of the privileged Iranian class. But his parents are reluctant to leave their homeland with their younger daughter, Shirin (Ariana Molkara), delaying that decision until too late."Indeed, the revolution aroused fears among Iranian Jews and around two thirds of the community left the country." ................ as per an International survey"An additional information - At least 13 Jews have been executed in Iran since the Islamic revolution, most of them for either religious reasons or their connection to Israel. For example, in May 1998, Jewish businessman Ruhollah Kakhodah-Zadeh was hanged in prison without a public charge or legal proceeding, apparently for assisting Jews to emigrate." Finally I want to add, out of the many catastrophes that the Jewish people have been through during the revolution, "Septembers of Shiraz"s story was one of the first with a happy ending.As an exceptional movie lover - watch it! Realize it!

I was touched by the movie even though the script was not what it could have been and some of the interactions (Farneh x Habibeh, Habibeh x Morteza) seemed too contrived and over-scripted. I am not sure whether this carried over from the novel or originated in the movie script. But the story overall is compelling and has an unmistakable feel of reality. The cruelty and moral corruption rings true and obviously is not something that comes from any particular ideology or religion. Some people in times of chaos, social upheavals or revolutions turn into animals and find all sorts of pseudo-moral excuses for being that way. Times of disorder will always invite rapine, settling of personal accounts and revolting inhumanity. Adrien Brody as Isaac and Alon Aboutboul as his jailer and interrogator were excellent. Their interaction make the film well worth while seeing.

In Iran, the city of Shiraz has traditionally been associated with great cultural achievements in poetry, literature, and magnificent gardens. Set at the inception of the Iranian revolution of 1979, "Septembers of Shiraz" focuses on the tyranny of the oppressive rule of the Ayatollah Khomeini, as directed against a businessman.The focal point of the film is a Jewish merchant of precious stones and jewelry, who is summarily arrested, tortured, and extorted of his fortune in order to survive. Adrien Brody delivers another complex and moving performance as the jeweler named Isaac. Salma Hayak-Pinault is outstanding as Isaac's wife, Farnaz. The action is taut and the pacing is deliberate, as Isaac's long period in captivity and his ordeal of torture are chronicled in lurid detail.One of the best scenes in the film is the moment where Isaac's captor named Mohsen, as played by Alon Aboutboul, engages Isaac in an extended conversation. The climax of the scene is when Isaac persuasively points to the circularity of their relationship and how Mohsen's extremism has made him captive to his obsession for revenge. Mohsen is no less a prisoner than Isaac. In this area, the film could have developed more completely the background on the repressive regime of the Shah of Iran and the barbarity of the methods used by his secret police, the dreaded SAVAK.Another key relationship in the film was that of Farnaz and the household maid Habibeh, given a remarkable screen interpretation by the husky-voiced Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo. In the ebb and flow of this relationship, Habibeh begins to side with the revolutionaries, yet is deeply conflicted due to the kindness shown to her by Farnaz and Isaac. In a moving scene near the end of the film, Habibeh comes around to support Issac and Farnaz, rejecting her son, who has turned informant on the family. In an ironic twist, however, the last we hear of the son is that he has been arrested by the new theocratic regime for his personal greed in looting precious stones from Isaac's business.In the DVD "Behind the Scenes" segment, it is clear that the film artists approached this film with great intelligence, including the screenwriter, director, and design team, who were all passionate about making a film that depicts not only a repressive regime at one moment in time in 1979, but for all forms of tyranny that refuse to honor reverence for life. Tragically, this story is all too familiar well into the twenty-first century.

This is a movie that should have been better. The Iranian revolution is interesting today because of the deal with Iran.Considering it's based on true events there are some weaknesses in the way the story unfolds. If things were so bad didn't they have any plans to leave at all? Would they bother to torture and fake shoot some simple jeweler like that? But maybe things like that really did happen in the revolution. The way he buys his way out is quite good.It is a more or less one sided story and that may offend some. However this movie doesn't need to show both sides of the revolution to be watchable. Can't put everything in one show.The acting is good. Great to see Salma Hayek on screen again. She is watchable and believable needs to act more. Shohreh Aghdashloo from House of Saddam, plays a housekeeper and she is good as always. Adrien Brody is especially convincing during the torture and in his scene with the son of the housekeeper. He is good as showing suffering and this is a role that is quite in the vein of the Pianist.The ending feels contrived and weakens the message of the story. I get it that they have to make things exciting for a movie but the escape would have been more effective without the car chase and mountain horse ride. A more realistic treatment would have been far better.