Asghar Farhadi's latest film, Parallel Tales, is a disappointing entry in his filmography, a stark contrast to his acclaimed Iranian work. The movie, inspired by Krzysztof Kieślowski's A Short Film About Love, is a convoluted and nearly two-and-a-half-hour French melodrama that fails to capture the essence of Farhadi's previous achievements.
The story revolves around Isabelle Huppert's character, Sylvie, an author who uses her neighbors as inspiration for her latest novel. She hires a young man, Adam Bessa's Adam, as her assistant, and the naive assistant becomes engrossed in Sylvie's fictional tale of adultery, which mirrors the real-life romantic entanglements of her neighbors, a trio of foley artists played by Vincent Cassel, Pierre Niney, and Virginie Efira.
The film's central issue lies in its convoluted storyline and the underutilization of its talented cast. Isabelle Huppert, known for her exceptional performances, is wasted as a crotchety, reclusive author who barely figures into the plot. Virginie Efira, on the other hand, stands out with her portrayal of Nita, a man-eating seductress in Sylvie's fiction, while in reality, she's just a regular gal trying to get by.
Vincent Cassel also departs from his usual typecasting, playing a married man who becomes involved with Nita. Pierre Niney, a huge figure in France, is wasted as a cuckold and then a more aggressive character due to the machinations of Adam. However, the film's overall execution feels stuck in another era of French moviemaking, reminiscent of the sixties and seventies, with its focus on man's paranoia and jealousy.
One of the most glaring flaws in the film is the quality of Sylvie's book. Despite her supposed fame as an author, the story she's telling is so leaden that it feels like the work of an amateur. Similarly, the movie itself, with its endless loop of generic wildlife shots, seems to be a labor of love that is not up to par with Farhadi's previous works.
In conclusion, Parallel Tales is a misfire, a disappointment for fans of Asghar Farhadi's previous films. It feels like a footnote in his filmography, a relic of a bygone era of French moviemaking. Perhaps Farhadi is out of his element with this old-fashioned, dull melodrama, and it's a reminder that not all films are created equal.
