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An absurd triptych of seemingly unrelated stories finds a mysterious intersection in this tale set somewhere between Winnipeg and Tehran CummingsPerformed by The Guess Who. From the cinematography and the usual search for symmetry, static or in travel shots, and a pleasant aesthetic, with a dreamlike atmosphere that enhances the universality of the setting, to its story that revolves around the various characters, the way their lives intersect and animate a dialogue that is sometimes polite, sometimes not. As in Anderson’s films, Rankin’s is interested in exploring the reality of his film, a reality full of idiosyncrasies that serves as fertile ground for comedy.
An angry teacher in a classroom shouting at students, one of whom claims that a turkey stole his glasses; another is dressed as Groucho Marx because he wants to be a comedian; and another as a fashionista. With a comedy made up of ironic, deadpan and black humor, A Universal Language manages to be hilarious whenever it wants to. There are many times when its incidents border on the absurd or surreal, promoting the comedy that bathes it, but never undermining its purpose of provoking thoughtful depth.
Elements and feelings that unite and give life to a special experience between places and times, realities and dreams. For example, in the reality of the film, even though we are in Canada, French, let alone English, seems to be a second language, and in its place there is Persian. Everyone speaks it, and signs and billboards are written in it, making the result something close but distant, familiar and unfamiliar that blends into a new reality that is culturally and demographically blind.
In terms of cinematography, often similar to Anderson’s, more in framing and movement than in color palette, there is a constant desire to inhabit the spaces the characters are in. The camera is sometimes static from a distance, observing their movement and how it affects their surroundings instead of focusing on their faces and expressions with close-ups. It’s as if the place is as important as the characters to the story, and Rankin wants to make sure we immerse ourselves in it as tourists in a foreign land.