Leila

Released Apr 25, 1998

2h 5m

Drama

List

100%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

87%

Audience Score

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.

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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

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Serge L

Loving couple with the wife not able to conceive. The story follows the coldly logical steps to reproduction in spite of the feelings of the couple. Making do.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/19

Full Review

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

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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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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