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Leila

Play trailer Poster for Leila 1998 2h 5m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Two months after meeting him, Leila (Leila Hatami) marries Reza (Ali Mosaffa). When they find out Leila is unable to conceive, they initially ignore Reza's mother's (Jamileh Sheikhi) insistence that he must take a second wife who can bear children. Determined to be a devoted Muslim spouse, Leila eventually becomes convinced that her mother-in-law is right and urges Reza to consider the idea. Reza reluctantly agrees to begin interviewing prospective brides, and their marriage soon deteriorates.

Critics Reviews

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Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 07/24/2005
3/5
Dan Jardine Apollo Guide 03/16/2004
80/100
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice 03/03/2002
A richly developed psychodrama that reveals the crucial role self-esteem plays in our relationships. Go to Full Review Dustin Putman TheFilmFile.com 01/01/2000
3/4
A powerfully articulated and subtle drama from famous Iranian director Dariush Mehrjui. Go to Full Review Michael Dequina TheMovieReport.com 01/01/2000
3.5/4
A film of great sadness, the tragedy of a love torn apart by each partner's overeagerness to please the other. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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07/02/2013 Another winner from the Iranian cinema. I was struck by recent comments by an expert that most Iranians do not see their art house films and that most of their films are rubbish. Thank goodness this is the sort of film that the rest of the world associates with the country. See more 06/05/2012 Brilliantly acted, scripted, edited. See more 10/19/2011 Beautiful and sad Iranian film concerning infertility and polygomy. See more 06/08/2011 Most of our pain is self inflicted...how true and how easy to forget! See more 01/23/2011 A scene in this movie shows the young couple watching "Dr. Zhivago". This was a fitting tribute as "Leila" is a similar tragic romance. The titular actress did an incredible job, though her supporting cast could have been a bit better. See more 08/09/2010 Intense ... Beautifully filmed ... Heartbreaking ... Absolutely fascinating .., See more Read all reviews
Leila

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Cast & Crew

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Dariush Mehrjui

Director

Leila Hatami

Leila, the Wife

Ali Mosaffa

Reza, the Husband

Jamileh Sheikhi

Reza's Mother

Mohammad Reza Sharifinia

Leila's Uncle

Turan Mehrzad

Leila's Mother

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Leila

Leila (1996) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Two months after meeting him, Leila (Leila Hatami) marries Reza (Ali Mosaffa). When they find out Leila is unable to conceive, they initially ignore Reza's mother's (Jamileh Sheikhi) insistence that he must take a second wife who can bear children. Determined to be a devoted Muslim spouse, Leila eventually becomes convinced that her mother-in-law is right and urges Reza to consider the idea. Reza reluctantly agrees to begin interviewing prospective brides, and their marriage soon deteriorates.
Director
Dariush Mehrjui
Producer
Dariush Mehrjui
Screenwriter
Mahnaz Ansarian, Dariush Mehrjui
Distributor
First Run Features
Production Co
Farabi Cinema Foundation
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Persian
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 25, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 3, 2024
Box Office (Gross USA)
$50.1K
Runtime
2h 5m