About halfway through, something happens that might be the most unexpected twist I've ever seen. It's beautifully, magically meta. Both halves are compelling despite (or because of) their simplicity, and the parallels between them add extra dimensions. Where the film falters a bit is in the transparency of its central device; it works beautifully at first, but here and there the cracks show. It doesn't have too much of a detrimental effect, though, it's still a wonderful, thought-provoking work.

The first half is a bit ponderous and aimless, but the twist at that halfway point renders the rest of the film endlessly captivating.

Another interesting and engaging film from Panahi. He begins the film with the simple, slice of life story about a young girl trying to get home from school. But the unexpected twist halfway through creates an opportunity to engage the differences between narrative versus documentary filmmaking, offering both striking differences and surprising similarities.

The Mirror is a film about a documentary. On a formal level, this film is a success and its mirroring of its two halfs is well-done. However, content wise, the film never really gets anywhere and is too often caught winking to the viewer about its scripted-ness with cameos by boom mics and the motif of the football match. An interesting concept indeed but better done in Makhmalbaf's A Moment of Innocence, which was released 1 year before.