About Elly (2009)

Name: About Elly (2009)
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Released: April 8, 2015
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 87

2015

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 29 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 144 Ratings

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8.3

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8.3	User Score Universal acclaim based on 144 Ratings

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About Elly (US)

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Movie Details & Credits

Cinema Guild | Release Date: April 8, 2015 | Not Rated

Summary: A group of middle-class friends travel from Tehran to spend the weekend at the seaside. Sepideh invites Elly, who is her daughter's teacher, to travel with the three families in order to introduce her to their recently divorced friend Ahmad, now living in Germany. The next morning, the two women go shopping in the town and Elly says thatA group of middle-class friends travel from Tehran to spend the weekend at the seaside. Sepideh invites Elly, who is her daughter's teacher, to travel with the three families in order to introduce her to their recently divorced friend Ahmad, now living in Germany. The next morning, the two women go shopping in the town and Elly says that she has to return to Tehran because her mother has been recently submitted to hospital for heart surgery, but Sepideh asks her to stay and hides her luggage. The children are playing in the sea and one mother asks Elly to watch them. Out of the blue, Sepideh's daughter calls to some men playing volleyball to rescue one of the children from the water. After rescuing the little boy they seek out Elly, questioning whether she has drowned or returned to Tehran. What has happened to Elly?… Expand

Director: Asghar Farhadi

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 119 min

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Critic Reviews

100

David Edelstein

Apr 10, 2015

It’s breezy, then suspenseful, and gradually, crushingly sad. On its own terms, it’s a perfect film. Read full review

100

Farran Smith Nehme

Apr 9, 2015

About Elly shows that the ethical dilemmas of ordinary adults can, with this level of talent, become as gripping as any thriller. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

May 7, 2015

Emotional intensity is Farhadi's métier, and to see About Elly is to revel in his skill. Read full review

Chuck Bowen

Apr 6, 2015

Asghar Farhadi's sensibility embodies a combination of empathy and paranoia that's striking considering that the latter is normally driven by self-absorption. Read full review

Jordan Hoffman

Apr 9, 2015

About Elly is remarkable for both its universal observations about human nature and its specifics. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Nov 21, 2014

About Elly confirms Farhadi's shrewd judgment of pace, dramatic technique and formal control of an ensemble cast. Read full review

Time Out London Dave Calhoun

Nov 21, 2014

The writing and direction lean towards the obvious, but there’s much to chew on regarding tradition, progress and the power of the white lie. Read full review

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User Reviews

Kakozo

Mar 14, 2017

Astonishing and unbelievable!
Perfect acting by everyone involved from kids to adults.
At the end a must seen masterpiece that freezes you on your seat...

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Farsheed

Jun 6, 2016

I recommend every film lover in the world watch this masterpiece by Asghar Farhadi. Not only the story makes everyone terrified, but also the actors perform so well.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

MisterKS

Apr 8, 2015

About Elly is yet to be another masterpiece from Farhadi. It is a terrific drama filled with moral consequences and it almost works like a thriller. The core of the story is that how secrets affect anyone's life. The casts are all around superb. Amazing!

6 of 6 users found this helpful60

LowbrowCinema

May 10, 2015

ABOUT ELLY begins simply and joyfully, then turns into a suspenseful quasi-L'AVENTURA but eventually becomes an indictment of a repressive system that leads to subterfuge. Asghar Farhadi is not a show off but ABOUT ELLY feels more modern and contemporary than any other film out there.ABOUT ELLY begins simply and joyfully, then turns into a suspenseful quasi-L'AVENTURA but eventually becomes an indictment of a repressive system that leads to subterfuge. Asghar Farhadi is not a show off but ABOUT ELLY feels more modern and contemporary than any other film out there. Farhadi's talent is nowhere more visible than in a scene of a woman flying a kite that seems both happy and terrifying at the same time. A wonderful film.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

AvishanH

Sep 18, 2019

One of Farhadi's best works ever.It's so creative and remarkable. The acting is extraordinary

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DirigiblePulp

Feb 25, 2017

My first Farhadi. A really good experience. There's a fine attention to character and detail in this. The rhythms are impeccable, the setting perfect in its almost mundane beauty, the woebegone exceptional.

About Elly is mostly concerned with how, and not who or why. It's an attempt toMy first Farhadi. A really good experience. There's a fine attention to character and detail in this. The rhythms are impeccable, the setting perfect in its almost mundane beauty, the woebegone exceptional.

About Elly is mostly concerned with how, and not who or why. It's an attempt to blame a little bit of everyone - Iranian culture and society - as opposed to just one person. What does it mean to be a single woman in Iran at this point in one's life? This can all be a bit too formal. Its revelations are not so much exemplary as finely judged and formed. It's quite good, not great.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

calamari

Oct 9, 2015

Read this before you waste your time with this (excruciatingly long) movie! Farhadi, directed this film, and also the (Academy Award) best foreign film of 2011, The Separation. (The Separation was an amazing film.) THIS however, i would highly recommend avoiding to watch. In a word it isRead this before you waste your time with this (excruciatingly long) movie! Farhadi, directed this film, and also the (Academy Award) best foreign film of 2011, The Separation. (The Separation was an amazing film.) THIS however, i would highly recommend avoiding to watch. In a word it is dull... There is fantastic acting by all involved, but the story is just so completely non existent, that I can't fathom how any reviewer could rate this movie positively. I felt it my duty as a movie lover to warn people considering watching this, as there are (inexplicably) only positive reviews of this movie.… Expand

0 of 7 users found this helpful07

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