Offside

Funny, engaging and uplifting. A bit heavy-handed with the social commentary but manages to get away with it because of the charming characters and overall lightness. Also I really don't care about football but this one managed to get me pumped about the game so I guess it does brilliantly as a sports film. The interesting documentary-inflected technique works fine as well. Overall a funny, interesting and very human comedy that surprised and captivated me.

more than anything, i was surprised to find that this film made me feel extremely nostalgic. i also liked the fact that panahi understood the complexity of human character and didn't make the film a black and white fight between good and bad. the film had some funny moments and some endearing characters and in the end managed to get an emotional rise out of me, but i still wonder if that's because of the film's mastery or because a part of me misses iran.

Paradigmatic Iranian cinema. Panahi gets so much out of so little: Just one day, few locations, several girls forbidden from attending a World Cup qualification game. The film is engrossing and moving because the writing and acting are so authentic, real and rich with detail, but it's also full of symbolism and provokes social and political thought. Thankfully, no pre-chewed messages are shoved in the viewer's face through directorial bells-and-whistles. Reality is enough.

Panahi's film is a treasure, with the final bus ride standing out as such a poignant yet joyous counterpoint to the bus ride that opens the film. The camera cuts only at the most crucial moments, staying with characters and even moving completely around them. The characters are true human beings, their relationships growing more complex with each viewing. This is a remarkable achievement, and shows even more the great tragedy of Panahi now living under house arrest due to a repressive regime.

A hilarious satire of the Iranian patriarchy in the context of football. Full of Panahi's typical compassion and joy amid the ever present oppression by the State. Every character is likeable in some way, indeed often at times endearing. The success of the film - and perhaps Panahi's films in general - is that the story is not lost in the general commentary on politics. The shooting of the film during an actual football game just adds to the delight of the viewing experience.

The intention to decry persistent sexism in modern times is honorable but this bafflingly well-received comedy makes bold feminist statements that are never adequately explored and does so in a flimsy, repetitive, and drawn-out manner.

This takes an obvious injustice and makes not many obvious claims about it, instead focusing on this rather fun looking rebellion from these women, whilst also showing how little respect this egregious sexist custom is shown by the male sport-goers and even the security guards, whose only rebuttal is that they're doing their job. Sacrifices its cinematics for a sense of immediacy, this is a properly uplifting film, especially in the last act (despite the easy ending).

Panahi's guerilla filmmaking (during an actual football match no less) occasionally borders on documentary and gives "Offside" its authenticity, but also deprives it of a more cinematic quality. The importance of the message goes without saying, and it's underlined even further by the gradual change in the soldiers' stance. However, despite a few stand-out moments, the directorial style (or absence thereof), scant script and amateur acting are definitely limiting.

Oh hey, another smart, engaging, funny, and surprisingly suspenseful drama with a flawless and moving final shot. Quit showing off *Iran*.

A nice little movie, nothing special but a decent way to spend the afternoon.

Touched me in all the right places.

It takes a bit to get going, and there are some clumsy sections, but it builds to a truly extraordinary third act. Panahi is just brilliant.

Imagine someone telling you that they really want to watch a soccer game, but that they're not allowed. Now imagine them telling you that again and again for 90 minutes straight. Surprise - you just imagined Offside - what might have worked well as a 10-20 minute sub-plot in a larger narrative, but which became an excruciatingly boring feature-length film instead.

& anil

Star Rating: ★★★★★

they must have freedom and be allowed to watch soccer and all, men as well gotta have freedom....but this doesn't make this stupid unreal movie a good one

It s the story of the Iranian girls, who are not deserve the situation they face every day .Going to stadium for watching a football match! It s to difficult to believe that it s banned in a country.

"The comically-tinged suspense and technical brilliance of certain moments never grow out of anything organic as in the great Panahi/Kiarostami collaboration Crimson Gold." - Keith Uhlich

Sympathetic to all of the major characters, this film underscores the absurdity of this form of discrimination. Cleverly filmed at the actual soccer match, this is one of the lighter touches I've seen applied to the jailer/prisoner dynamic.

Small yet full. I don't really like it, but I'd be so proud if I'd made it myself.