DVD Mini Review - The Stoning of Soraya M.

The Stoning of Soraya M. has a powerful message. The film is directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh and written by him and his wife Betsy Giffin Nowrasteh and it is based on a book which is a true story. It is about how women are treated in the strict Muslim world - the law of Shariah. In this world a woman who cheats on her husband will be stoned to death. Even if it is not true they make things up so they can stone her. What happens to the man involved in this. Nothing. So you can see what this is about.

Shoreh Aghdashloo gives a terrific performance as Soraya's aunt Zahra. She tries her best to help her niece. Mozhan Marno is also very good as the poor Soraya. Soraya's husband Ali (Navid Negahban) goes to prostitutes (no punishment for him) and wants to marry a 14 year old. He wants to divorce Soraya but she is giving him a hard time. So what better way to get rid of her than to make up a story about her. This way he doesn't even have to pay her. He even turns their sons and father against her. Jim Caviezel has a small role as the writer who Zahra tells the story to.

While this is not outstanding cinema it is good and it held my attention. And it has an important message. The only thing that made me wonder was when one of the characters tells Zahra that things not the way they were when the Shah was the ruler. I wonder if that means somehow that someone connected to this film was pro Shah. Well, he was certainly not good. There were many political prisoners in the jails during his reign. And the US installed him and overthrew a popular leader.

In any case, The Stoning of Soraya M. is worth checking out. Just me aware that the stoning is very graphic, very bloody and very hard to watch.