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Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine
New Yorker Films

Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 63 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
10.0 out of 10
based on 19 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 1 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: Not Rated

Starring Bahman Farmanara, Roya Nonahali, Reza Kianian, Valiyollah Shirandami, Parivash Nazarieh, Hossien Kasbian, and Mahtaj Nojoomi

In this semi-autobiographical story, director Bahman focuses on a 55-year-old filmmaker, Bahman Farjami, played by Farmanara himself. Farjami's work has been banned by the Iranian Post-Revolutionary Censor Board, however, he decides to film his own funeral, which further complicates his situation with the authoritites.


GENRE(S): Drama  
WRITTEN BY: Bahman Farmanara  
DIRECTED BY: Bahman Farmanara  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: September 21, 2004 
Video: September 21, 2004 
Theatrical: April 6, 2001 
RUNNING TIME: 93 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: Iran 
LANGUAGE(S): Persian (with English subtitles) 

Also known as "Booye Kafoor, Atre Yas"

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

88
Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey
Boasts rich texture, sly vision and rueful humor.
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80
New Times (L.A.) Jean Oppenheimer
Farmanara, the actor, brings a real poignancy to the role and, thus, to the story that seems, more than anything, the tale of a man coming to terms with his life.
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78
Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten
A movie about life and death; its underpinnings are soaked in the perfume of artistic expression.
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75
Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
This understated Iranian drama affirms life as vigorously as it provokes thought.
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75
New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
The heavy subject is tempered with gentle humor.
Read Full Review
70
Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
A fascinating and entertaining piece of work.
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70
Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
As somber as much of this deceptively simple yet consistently acute, subtle and observant film is, an effect heightened by a carefully controlled use of color, it is not without hope.
Read Full Review
70
The New York Times A.O. Scott
Perhaps it's the difference in culture, but the thoughtfulness in Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine shows that its creator isn't letting himself or his audience off the hook.
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70
Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
Mixes whiffs of Woody Allen and Federico Fellini with Mr. Farmanara's distinctive, mordant wit.
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63
Miami Herald Marta Barber
Farmanara bears his soul, and his honesty permeates this work as strongly as the smell of camphor.
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63
Chicago Tribune Robert K. Elder
Farmanara, a gifted director, seems to be getting his artistic legs again, but he spends far too much time following his protagonist in and out of buildings as he smokes cigarettes and otherwise mopes about.
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60
Mr. Showbiz Michael Atkinson
The voyage is never less than interesting, even when you have no idea where it could possibly go.
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60
Variety Ken Eisner
Resonant with inner harmonies and dark, dark humor.
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60
Village Voice J. Hoberman
A humorously death-haunted psychodrama.
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58
Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
Depression is a fair subject for a movie, but this much moroseness shouldn't come to this little.
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50
San Francisco Chronicle Wesley Morris
A feat of droll, refractive, melodramatic self-portraiture.
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50
LA Weekly David Chute
At times the picture feels like an affectionate parody of recent Iranian films.
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50
TV Guide Steve Simels
Glacially slow going.
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38
New York Post V.A. Musetto
Deadly dull.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 10.0 (out of 10) based on 1 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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