Three and a Half is the story of Hanieh, Homa and Banafsheh, three Iranian convicts who, while on temporary leave from prison, hatch a scheme to escape the country by crossing the northern border. Telling jokes and pulling pranks on each other, the young women may appear playful on the surface, but their risky gambit is deadly serious. Moving cautiously through streets, the three are denied stay by the shadiest hotels and are forced to rely on friends and suspicious characters for aid. As they get closer to the border, the stressful conditions and the secrets they hide raise tensions between the women. Despite all their obstacles, they remain quietly determined and even optimistic, buoyed by the revelation that one of them is pregnant. In his sophomore film, Naghi Nemati spins a universal tale about oppressed but resilient allies who risk it all to pursue personal freedom and a better life. –AFI Fest
The structure is very similar to Panahi's Crimson Gold but it's not the same effect!
Amateurish but affecting picture from director writer Naghi Nemati. The story's structure is perhaps a little too confused in its non-linear path. One certainly sees where the pic is going to finish up early enough that it becomes somewhat tedious in getting there. So many pictures have already been to this well that its almost dry. FNC '11
