The Patience Stone 2012

     This film takes place in an unnamed Middle Eastern country at war.  It is adapted from a bestselling novel written by the director.  A young Muslim woman in her thirties tends to her older husband.  He was shot in the neck upholding the honor of his family and his fellow fighters plus his close family has abandoned him.  The woman starts passing the time telling him about her feelings.  In the Middle East, women and their feelings have no importance to men.  There is a story in Persian mythology that you can tell your life story to a patience stone, it will absorb your feeling and collapse under the weight.  Her husband is paralyzed and he becomes her patience stone. 

     Basically, this film is a one-person monologue and boxed in by the constraints of the novel.  I suspected the ending but I found it very unsatisfying.  It takes patience from the viewer to reach the end of this film and I wonder if it’s worth the time invested?  The trailer gives glowing reviews but the film can’t live up to the praise.  2 ½* (This movie is so-so)

102 min, Drama directed by Atiq Rahimi with Golshifteh Farahani, Hamid Djavadan, Hassina Burgan, Massi Mrowat, Mohamed Al Maghraoui, Malak Djaham Khazal, Faiz Fazli, Hatim Seddiki.

Note:  Imdb 7.0 out of 10, 86% critic 73% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2 ½*.