Maxx
Studio: IRFilms.com/Facets
WorkNameSort: Maxx
Though frequently corny, Maxx tells its mistaken-identity tale with loads of situational humor. The gag here is that a goofy L.A. nightclub performer (Maxx, played by Farhad Ayish) gets an invite to play a prestigious cultural festival in Tehran, but, of course, he wasn’t the Maxx the Ministry meant to invite. Watching Maxx stumble his way through fêtes intended for a well-known conductor and the multiple recriminations that follow is infinitely enjoyable, if not the most substantial sort of humor. Pleasantly apolitical (aside from the dips into the internationally recognized joke well of incompetent bureaucracy), this Iranian production doesn’t boast superb production values. Nonetheless, any occasional lapses in acting skills or cinematography are more than made up for by Ayish’s clumsy rapping.
This article appears in Dec 27, 2006 – Jan 2, 2007.