Rosewater

Rosewater

 (2014)

A Review by Grant Kanigan

Directed by: Jon Stewart

Written by: Jon Stewart, based on

                  Maziar Bahari & Aimee Molloy's

                  book

Starring:  Gael García Bernal, Kim Bodnia

                 Claire Foy, Shohreh Aghdashloo

Rating: PG

Release Date: November 14th, 2014

Kim Bodnia & Gael García Bernal in Rosewater

     Life is absurd. Human beings help, fight, love, kill, create and destroy, all on a tiny rock that's completely insignificant in the grand scale of the universe. As famed cosmologist Carl Sagan used to say, we're just momentary fragments of dust, aimlessly drifting through space on a pale blue dot. Jon Stewart, host of the groundbreaking and absolutely ridiculous The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, often taps into this absurdity. Journalism, once a respected and important career, has now become the laughingstock of North American society. With TMZ and Facebook as the leading purveyors of breaking news, and the twenty-four hour news cycle mindlessly looping story after story, journalism is in some ways dead in the water. Yet, as Rosewater suggests, goodness will always prevail. 

     Showcasing journalists who risk their lives to get information, Stewart points out the insanity of the corporate news-media's constant refusal to cover the stories that actually effect our everyday lives and ideals. With this perspective, it is then completely absurd, (especially in the wake of Brian Williams' embellishment of his reports), that Stewart is also the most honest and trustworthy man in journalism - the man is a comedian. Yet, most comedians and commentators hide behind a veil of comedy or ironic facetiousness, most of which gets old and dishonest, quickly. The difference with Stewart, behind his ironic satire, is that he`s telling the truth, and most of the time, his sentimentality and heartfelt words find their way to the screen. It`s that optimistic search for truth that makes for excellent filmmaking, and what drives Rosewater.

     Rosewater follows Maziar Bahari, an Iranian-Canadian journalist covering the 2009 presidential elections in his native country, Iran. The son of a political activist father and stay-at-home mother, Bahari has distanced himself from his home country and both sides of Iranian politics by focusing on the international scale of journalism. Working from London as a writer for Newsweek, Bahari is a seasoned professional, ready to capture frighteningly real shots on the ground in Iran or to interview both sides of the heated Iranian political spectrum.  Befriending a taxi-driver and political dissident to the Iranian government headed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, (world renowned idiot and racist), and Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, Bahari soon finds himself interviewing both sides of a volatile political atmosphere. Here some of Stewart`s best work shines through - Stewart carefully showcases the similarities and differences of Iranian culture; highlighting the throes of a theocratic republic while also showing that the vast majority of Iranians are youthful, vibrant, smart, passionate and strive for democracy. Stewart`s script expertly illustrates that xenophobia is just as dangerous as a theocratic government.

     Stewart's script is the highlight of the film. Quickly and artfully showcasing exposition, the audience soon finds itself inside of an Iranian interrogation room and inside of Bahari's mind. Stewart's writing is quick, to the point and emotionally devastating, (especially in the case of Bahari's inner conversations with deceased family members). Equally intelligent are the artistic choices by the cast. Bernal, fantastic in Babel, does his best work yet. Moving from emotions like subdued, helpless, triumphant and beaten, Bernal expertly embodies the real life Bahari, and makes it easy to lose sight of his work as a performance and more of a testament to the truth. Additionally, the subtle physical changes from fit and healthy to desperate and emaciated must have taken a physical and mental toll on the actor; Bernal is absolutely brilliant. Bodni, too, as Javadi, the Iranian interrogator, plays his role well. Misunderstanding satire and global politics, (Bahari was jailed and interrogated for over 100 days because they thought an interview in this segment from The Daily Show was part of an international espionage scheme), Bodni is at times simultaneously ridiculous and absurdly cruel. With the film largely about these two men, the combination of their talents as actors and Jon Stewart's poignant script solidify Rosewater as a triumph of historical filmmaking.

     The only problem with Rosewater is the cinematography. Jumping from creative shots, (memories outlined in store windows), to risky but enjoyable illustrations of the viral nature of Twitter, to shaky-cam, it's occasionally interesting, but mostly boring and uninspired. The cinematographer, Bobby Bukowski has worked on some interesting films like The Messenger and Iceman, but has always had an uninspired work ethic. It's not that detrimental to the film, which is otherwise perfect, but in comparison to the beautiful work of other prison dramas like Papillon or The Shawshank Redemption, it's lack in inspiring visuals is somewhat jarring.

     Overall, Jon Stewart has made a film that's both politically relevant and an endearing testament to the human spirit as well as the triumph of good versus evil. An intelligent, crisply written script and deft direction, coupled with a powerful group of actors make Rosewater one of the best non-fiction films of the year. With Stewart bowing out of The Daily Show, (which has slowly become a journalistic institution), here's hoping Stewart hasn't yet counted out writer-director as his new career. 

Grant's Rating: 4/5 Stars  

Gael García Bernal and Kim Bodnia in Rosewater: "Just a TV Show"