As far as portmanteau words go, the film’s title encapsulating the insular nature of the Persian community in L.A., “IRANgeles,” isn’t bad at all. It has just the sort of goofy charm that characterizes the film’s good humour and considerable appeal.
But I really want to talk about a pet peeve I have about romance stories, namely, the sprouting of an epic love from a single glance across a room. In real life, of course, a glance leads to talking, talking leads to knowing, and in that knowing flourishes a garden of roses. But stories in any format don’t have the luxury of 24/7 coverage of its characters, and so it becomes quite the challenge to get from that first glance to earth-shaking passion – assuming, of course, that the romance really does follow the template of love at first sight. Enter Shakespeare, whose Romeo and Juliet is certainly filled with evocative poetry and heart-pounding drama, but also weakened by Romeo and Juliet’s superficial relationship. A single glance does not a lifelong bond make, let alone provide the foundation for challenging the political conflict between the Montagues and the Capulets. Perhaps it’s all a lovely sigh about the foolishness of young love, barely distinguishable from lust, too innocent to recognize any limitations, but it’s still flimsy. Reality can afford to be superficial; stories have to contend. As Tom Clancy said, “The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.”
Not ‘Romeo and Juliet’
If it seems a bit churlish to bring Shakespeare into the discussion of a humble indie film, let me say this: Writer/director Michael Keller brings it on himself by having romantic lead Kip Walker, the affable young Kansas wanna-be actor played by Dan Wells, audition for the part of Romeo. But “IRANgeles” is no Romeo and Juliet, unless you take the Montagues out of the equation and, in divesting the story of a violent feud with a dangerous crossfire for the young lovers, lower the stakes to something just a pinch above trivial. This isn’t entirely fair, perhaps. Then again, the stars aren’t very crossed when the obstacles to Kip and Sherry’s romance are the cultural inhibitions carried over from Iran by Sherry’s parents. These are rooted in a familiar injunction: no marrying outsiders. But as this is a romantic comedy and it is set in IRANgeles, in which Iran may be capitalized but Los Angeles really holds sway, the young lovers aren’t kept apart for long. Given the joviality with which everyone comes together at the end, I almost wonder what all the fuss was to begin with. A single glance, a bit of effort on Kip’s part, and a mild rebellion against traditional parents – and that’s it?
But despite short-changing the complexities of cultural assimilation and overdoing the cheap shots at Hollywood’s expense – at 80 minutes, Keller doesn’t give himself much time – “IRANgeles” is certainly likeable. Both in his filming technique and staging, Keller gives the film a patina of down-to-earth sincerity, and for every scene that strains just a little bit to get the job done, there’s another that is genuinely sweet, or laugh-out-loud funny (Noah Knight as Kambiz, a young man who easily straddles the Iran/American line, is a hoot), or even a bit romantic given how well Kip Walker and the lovely Carolena Sabah (as Sherry) connect with each other. “IRANgeles” doesn’t quite live up to the difficult task of portraying star-crossed transcultural lovers, but I sure did enjoy the attempt.
Entertainment Value: ** (out of two)
Technical Quality: * (out of two)
IRANgeles. Written and directed by Michael Keller. Starring Dan Wells, Carolena Sabah (as Carla Golian) and Noah Knight. 80 minutes. Visit www.echelonstudios.us for more information.
Frédérik invites you to discuss this movie and other movies at his blog (frederik-sisa.blogspot.com).
