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Leila

Play trailer Poster for Leila Released Apr 25, 1998 2h 5m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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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

View All (8) Critics Reviews
Peter Stack San Francisco Chronicle Rated: 3/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jul 24, 2005 Full Review Dan Jardine Apollo Guide Rated: 80/100 Mar 16, 2004 Full Review Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat Spirituality & Practice A richly developed psychodrama that reveals the crucial role self-esteem plays in our relationships. Mar 3, 2002 Full Review Dustin Putman TheFilmFile.com A powerfully articulated and subtle drama from famous Iranian director Dariush Mehrjui. Rated: 3/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Michael Dequina TheMovieReport.com A film of great sadness, the tragedy of a love torn apart by each partner's overeagerness to please the other. Rated: 3.5/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member 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. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Brilliantly acted, scripted, edited. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Beautiful and sad Iranian film concerning infertility and polygomy. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member Most of our pain is self inflicted...how true and how easy to forget! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member 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. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Intense ... Beautifully filmed ... Heartbreaking ... Absolutely fascinating .., Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/02/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Leila

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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