113. Opponent (Motståndaren); movie review

 

OPPONENT (MOTSTÅNDAREN)

Cert TBA

119 mins

BBFC advice: TBA

Among the many misapprehensions about refugees is the notion that they are all economic immigrants who want to sponge off the state.

Indeed, some could have been accomplished musicians or high-ranking in sports, such as Maryam (Marall Nasiri) and Iman (Payman Maadi) in Milad Alami's Opponent.

They fled a comfortable life in Iran to avoid persecution by the state police and ended up in northern Sweden.

While waiting for their asylum application to be processed, they are moved with their two daughters from one tiny hostel set-up to the next.

However, the Opponent in the movie's title refers to neither the Swedish or Iranian governments nor the wrestlers Iman faces in the ring.

It transpires that his greatest foe is himself.

Opponent is a slow burn, with the camera often lingering over Iman as he faces up to his past, present and future.

There is a hint that violence prompted a rushed departure for Iran, but the facts emerge only very gradually.

The strain on the couple's marriage is inevitable and only worsens when Iman resumes wrestling to make their asylum application more attractive to the Swedish authorities.

However, it means he spends much time away from his family, exacerbating Maryam's frustrations.

Director Alami was a refugee two decades ago and had been longing to make a film about the reality of trying to settle in a foreign country.

Thus, we see the curt way officials handle their charges and the profound psychological impact of living in cramped accommodations and waiting for the results of applications and appeals to stay.

People such as Iman are left with no good choice - caught between staying at home and facing jail and splitting their family or taking them to a future of unhappiness.

Alami reflects the various strands very effectively and Maadi and Nasiri are impressive leads.

I just wish the film hadn't been so languid and the repetition had been cut down a bit.

Reasons to watch: Brutal insight into life as a refugee

Reasons to avoid: Stretched out too long

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? Sweden took 277,726 refugees in 2022 - a 15.31% increase from 2021.

The final word. Malid Alami: "All of the stuff in the film are based on real things. And all of the extras in the film are real refugees. I wanted to create it as realistic as I could. And it was also inspiring for me to meet all these people who shared an experience, even if it’s over 20 years apart." Awards Radar

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