Variety
A mundane tragedy plays out as a very, very slow-burn thriller in “A Very Ordinary Citizen,” an oblique drama from Iranian indie helmer Majid Barzegar. Much like Barzegar’s previous effort, “Parviz,” the story revolves around a protagonist who has settled into a limited routine, and who starts to commit sociopathic acts when change enters his life. Rigorously shot in long takes, eschewing standard narrative beats and withholding key narrative information, “Citizen” is constructed like a puzzle, but one that doesn’t quite satisfy even when complete. Nevertheless, the reputation of co-writer Jafar Panahi (“Taxi”) should attract further fest dates.
