Fremont

“Babak Jalali’s measured direction is so reminiscent of 80s indie films, and he has struck gold with non-actor, and real Afghan refugee, Anaita Wali Zada as his star. While many of her lines are delivered in a deadpan, straight-faced monotone, she or Jalali choose moments when she shares a sly grin, or a full on smile that light up the screen. The script is taut with absurdist one-liners that reflect an outsider’s viewpoint, and the supporting characters while often providing the humor, are fleshed out enough to feel like real people rather than characters for Donya to bounce off of. Surprisingly sweet, Donya’s journey takes an unexpected turn two-thirds of the way through the film toward a very satisfying resolution. 4 1/2 cats“

Brett says: “There is something remarkable in FREMONT’s stillness. There are no flashy tracking shots, drone-executed crane shots, or rapid fire montage delights. The scenes just put the audience in a series of moments, and characters’ expressions–or lack thereof–allow an understated inner narrative to take place. It is a heavily muted tone throughout.

“A former translator for US forces in Afghanistan finds herself making a new life in a Chinese fortune cookie factory in the San Francisco. The themes of betrayal, guilt, love and relationships, loneliness and isolation, and self-fulfillment all permeate this tightly knit film. 

“Despite some of the heavy themes, the direction from Babak Jalali toys with a playful and comedic side to even out the ultra stoic and deadpan nature of main character Donya (Anaita Wali Zada). In fact, most of the film’s humor is deadpan from each of its characters, which is effective when the more serious and introspective moments play out. The performance and film style remains the same, so the volleying back and forth between these tones gives the audience a more active role in participating with this narrative, having the agency to turn the switch back and forth as we go. Zada’s delivery of her lines in and out of ironic passive statements seem to be on autopilot, all happening while her head is in an alternative loop. Keeping the stillness of these moments allows this psychology to work far more than other cinematic bells and whistles might allow. It can be argued that scenes with a therapist introduced toward the end of the first act miss at times, but Zada remains the rock that steadies those interactions. 

“The real debate among audiences will be determining how long these moments can go in order remain sustainable. The dull set pieces and black and white ‘digitalness’ of it all might eventually prove grating for some after the newness has worn off. Donya is certainly not doing any acting acrobatics under Jalali’s direction, but fortunately, she has a non-distinct charisma that never really felt like looking at her in stillness was any sort of a chore. 

“One could argue that no new cinematic revelations are at play here, and that person would be right. It’s deliciously indie, not immensely deep to trudge through, but remains captivating in enough of the film to earn plenty of merit and time well-spent on a unique character study. 

“3 cats out of 5“