There’s a lot to like about this debut feature by Panah Panahi, son of Iranian legend Jafar Panahi (Three Faces, Tehran Taxi).

We are dropped right into the crowded, noisy car trip of an oddball family. The father (Mohammad Hassan Madjooni) alternates between scowling and teasing and the mother (Pantea Panahiha) doesn’t seem all that happy and disbelieves everything he says. Along for the ride are their two sons: ‘big brother’ (Amin Simiar) is a young adult and is the only one who doesn’t seem to find any enjoyment in the trip; and ‘young brother’ (Rayan Sarlak) is the kind of loud and insufferable kid that Supernanny usually deals with.

The purpose of the trip is hidden from us for a while. There are some quirky characters that move in and out of the story – the cyclist is a lovely understated moment that is full of unspoken humour. The family dog is sick and there are various comedic mishaps as the family bicker and occasionally lip sync.

The underlying story is a serious one – big brother is being driven to the border so he can flee the country and everyone is hiding this from little brother. It means we get lots of bottled up grief from the mother and a fair bit of pontificating from the father. From little brother, we get the kind of behaviour that might need a ‘time out’ but his ignorant exuberance and joy for life is definitely a key message.

Although I recognise there are lots of good elements to this film – an interesting premise, some subtext, good acting and striking landscapes – I struggled to care much for the family and there were some moments that really dragged. It also has an ending that feels way too artful.

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