-Written by Kyle Bain.
An Iranian wrestler, Arash (Sia Alipour), is poised to make it to the international stage to represent his country. Though, he finds himself flourishing in a time when instability plagues his country, where there are more important things to worry about than winning a medal–even if he’s spent his entire life chasing his dream. A Good Day Will Come features Arash as he contemplates whether to pursue his dream or attempt to save his people.
A Good Day Will Come is more of the same, the same story that we’ve seen and heard so many times. It’s becoming redundant, and throwing a wrestler into the mix doesn’t change the fact that this has been done before. Is A Good Day Will Come a bad film because it’s been done before? No, but it makes it challenging to appreciate certain aspects of the production when you’re constantly met by something overly familiar. It can become trying, and there are moments throughout A Good Day Will Come in which the film does become trying and difficult to appreciate.
There is one moment in this film, however–the defining moment–that feels so incredibly unique. The visuals are brilliant. It evokes emotion, it strengthens the narrative, and it allows it to set itself apart from the many similar films that came before it. In this moment A Good Day Will Come flourishes, it becomes better than what the film initially allowed me to believe it would be. This moment comes to life through the perfection of the choreography. It’s an incredibly slow scene in which the abundance of characters move at a snail’s pace, almost in unison. This moment holds the most power of the entire film, and it’s orchestrated perfectly.
We almost get two distinct narratives throughout A Good Day Will Come, as the first half of the film focuses almost entirely on Arash’s journey toward gold. While we are provided the opportunity to peer into the lives of the rest of the Iranian people, wrestling and Arash’s narrative takes precedence over the larger story in the early going. There is a noticeable shift, however, in the narrative after Arash makes the decision to be a voice for those who don’t have one. Tonally the film remains the same, but the narrative shifts drastically. Writer-Director Amir Zargara doesn’t abandon the original storyline, but it’s most certainly put on the back burner.
Again, A Good Day Will Come, for all intents and purposes has been done before. It’s a story that has been told hundreds of times, and I’ve seen dozens of films like this just in the past few months. Having two distinct narratives, and transitioning the way that Zargara does helps to set A Good Day Will Come apart from many of those other films. It’s both incredibly similar and interestingly unique at the same time–and Zargara’s unique spin on this narrative allows the film to flourish.
There are highs and lows in A Good Day Will Come (which is true of any film), but I feel like the biggest issue of all is glaring. The frequency of these stories make it difficult for films like this to find success, even when the stories being told are incredibly important. I’m harping on this fact, but it’s the most prominent aspect of the entire film. However, Zargara clearly had a unique vision for his film, prepared to blur the line between what’s already been done and a secondary, more personalized narrative. His attention to detail, and the most important moment of the entire film allow A Good Day Will Come to come to life with a necessary vigor, one that ultimately supercedes the redundancy of the narrative.
Written & Directed by Amir Zargara.
Starring Sia Alipour, Medi Bajestani, Yashar Mirian, Metin Ozturk, Shoale Shahbazi, etc.
7/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
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