Everyday People Iranian Director Films Humanistic Portrait of Afghan Refugees in ëBaraní by Ky N. Nguyen Baran," a film about Afghan refugees in Iran, takes place pre-Sept. 11, but its relevance is not in any way diminished. Following the great neo-realistic tradition of Italian filmmaker Vittorio De Sica and Indian auteur Satyajit Ray, Iranian director Majid Majidi succeeds in depicting the problems of everyday people with lyricism and sensitivity without condescension. This humanism makes their plight seem universal despite the apparent superficial differences between the characters on screen and nearly all of the audience. Following the tragic events of Sept. 11, worldwide attention focused on Afghanistan, previously hidden in relative obscurity amid the shadows, outside the global spotlight. For neighboring Iran, the Afghan people have always been important. Since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan two decades ago, millions of refugees have come to Iran. The official count was 1.4 million Afghan refugees when "Baran" was completed more than a year ago. That figure did not consider the millions of illegal aliens, let alone the influx of refugees fleei ng the recent military conflict. In January, Majidi estimated the actual figure to be 6 million. On a ragged construction site, Latif (Hossein Abedini)óa young Iranian of Turkish descentóindifferently prepares meals and tea for the construction workers, including many illegal Afghan laborers. When one of them becomes hurt, his son Rahmat (Zahra Bahrami) arrives to replace him. The boy turns out to be too weak for arduous work, so heís assigned to the kitchen while Latif is relegated to carrying heavy loads. Latif is upset at losing his easy job and jealous that his replacementís cooking is far more satisfying to the crew. Latif therefore seeks to make trouble for Rahmat whenever possible. One day, Latif discovers that Rahmat is really a girl named Baran. Changing his entire outlook, Latif follows Baran home and views the decrepit conditions in which she lives with her family in a refugee settlement. The movie transforms into a kind of tale of star-crossed lovers as Latif begins to treat Baran with extraordinary kindness and altruism. The elegant narrative is simply told and flows smoothly from scene to scene. Majidi has a painterís sense of composition, where each element in the frame has an important meaning. For example, a tea glass placed in Latifís work area is a subtle sign of Baranís appreciation of his devoted attention. As opposed to most Western cinema, Majidi utilizes his impeccable images to move the story rather than relying on explicit dialogue or narration. Long, distant shotsóreminiscent of Japanese masters Mizoguchi and Ozuóportray the vast and cluttered world in which his characters live. In contrast, close-ups of their faces evoke a wealth of emotions and experiences, exemplifying the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. The cast of non-professionals is exceptionally natural and believable. Happily, the characters are largely free of the histrionics and inexplicably irrational behavior that occasionally plagues Iranian cinema. Majidiís previous film, "The Color of Paradise," is still the highest grossing Iranian film at the U.S. box office. Prior to that, Majidiís "Children of Heaven" was the first Iranian movie nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Including "Baran," Majidiís last three films have won the top awards at the Fajr Film Festival (in Tehran) and the Montreal Film Festival. "Baran" just completed successful screenings at the Washington, D.C., International Film Festival, where it was singled out for the public CineCafÈ forum. "Baran (The Rain)" (Dari and Farsi; 91 min.) opens Fri., May 3. The Big Con The art of the con has long been a staple of the movies. In the convoluted tradition of David Mamet, director Fabi·n Bielinsky elevates "Nine Queens" with a wildly complex plot, leaving the viewer constantly guessing: Whoís conning whom? Dazzlingly entertaining, the movie is sharply photographed, crisply edited, and memorably acted. The film also conducts wry social commentary of Argentina in a matter-of-fact manner. Set in Buenos Aires, "Nine Queens" envisions a world where seemingly everyone is looking to take advantage of anyone unsuspecting. At the start, young Juan (GastÛn Pauls) successfully completes a bill-changing scam in a convenience store. As he starts to depart, the cashierís shift ends, prompting Juan to try his luck again with the new cashier. Juan is caught and arrested by an undercover detective, who turns out to be Marcos (Ricardo DarÌn), an experienced con artist looking to replace his partner who has disappeared. And the mind games begin, eventually culminating in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Pauls and DarÌn (also starring in "Son of the Bride") are mesmerizing in their seemingly effortless performances as the naÔve "innocent" and the immoral but lovable rogue. The ensemble cast has a grand time playing their flamboyant characters. "Nine Queens" is so much fun that the viewer doesnít mind being manipulated as much as the victims of the movieís confidence schemes. "Nine Queens (Nueve Reinas)" (Spanish; 114 min.) opens Fri., May 3. Rebirth of the ëSoní "Son of the Bride" is a moving tale of a manís circuitous path to redemption. The script is generally smart and wittily compares the protagonistís problems to those of Argentina at large. It does suffer a bit from some predictable plot elements and insufficient character motivation. Capable direction and uniformly rich acting performances largely overcome that. Director Juan JosÈ Campanellaís film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Forty-two-year-old Rafael (Ricardo DarÌn of "Nine Queens") is headed toward a midlife crisis. The Buenos Aires restaurant owner is always on the run with his cell phone ringing constantly. Divorced, he ignores his daughter and his girlfriend (Natalia Verbeke). A corporation wants to buy his Italian restaurant, which is hemorrhaging cash and still canít get the tiramisu right. On top of all that, his father (HÈctor Alterio) comes up with the crazy idea of having a church wedding with his mother (Norma Aleandro), whoís in a home with Alzheimerís disease. And his eccentric childhood friend (Eduardo Blanco) infiltrates his life. When Rafael suffers a heart attack, he begins to re-evaluate his lifeóslowly. "Son of the Bride (El Hijo de la Novia)" (Spanish; 123 min.) is now playing. Warning: ëTime Outí With "Time Out," French director Laurent Cantet follows The Shooting Galleryís "Human Resources" with another startling tale of the modern global economy. This time, his subject is Vincent (AurÈlien Recoing), a white-collar consultant whoís lost his job. Afraid to tell his wife Muriel (Karin Viard), Vincent unabashedly begins to weave a web of lies. Like Hermann Hermann (Dirk Bogarde) of Fassbinderís "Despair," Vincent begins to believe his fabricated life is real. Vincent cannot escape the spiral of deceit, and he actually embraces it. Though he yearns for security, he turns down job offers to maintain his freedom. He sees work as an empty and meaningless illusion. Eventually, he begins to come up with illicit schemes. As he drives through the starkly white snowy landscapes of France and Switzerland, Vincent has intertwined feelings of isolation, apprehension and liberty. The end is inevitable, and the viewer watches the crash happen in slow motion. Cantetís austere direction and Jocelyn Pookís operatic score create an appropriately eerie ambience. "Time Out" is a sort of psychological horror film. Itís based on the true story of Jean-Claude Romand, who pretended to be a doctor. After his lies and finances collapsed, Romand murdered his family in 1993. "Time Out (LíEmploi du Temps)" (French; 130 min.) opens Fri., May 10 at Visions Cinema/Bistro/Lounge. Repertory Notes The National Gallery of Art presents a brief series about the Romanov royal family of Russia. A retrospective begins of works from the Makhmalbaf Film House, the filmmaking family of Iran headed by esteemed director Mohsen ((202) 842-6799, http://nga.gov/programs/film.htm). Accompanying the four Silk Road exhibitions at the Sackler Gallery, a multinational film series (in May: Japan/China, Kazakhstan, Iran) looks at the trade routeís past and present at the Freer Gallery of Art ((202) 357-2700, http://www.asia.si.edu/programs/film.htm). Women Directors in Spanish Cinema runs for five evenings May 12-24 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, including Filmfest DC 2001ís opening night film, "Compassionate Sex" ((202) 783-5000, http://www.nmwa.org/calendar/calevent.htm#fil). The Asbury Shorts Show of New York returns to Visions Cinema/Bistro/Lounge on Wed., May 1 at 7 p.m. and Sun., May 5 at 9 p.m. International festival circuit hits include "Born Loser, "Lunch," and "The Gentle Cycle" ((202) 667-0090, http://visionsdc.com). The Fairfax Jewish International Film Festival continues through May 9, including "Left Luggage" (The Netherlands/Belgium), starring Isabella Rossellini ((703) 978-6991, http://www.cinemaartstheatre.com). The Maryland Film Festival runs May 2-5 in Baltimore, primarily at the Charles Theater. International selections include Terry Gilliamís "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen" (UK), "Cyberman" (Canada), "Fuego" (Argentina), "The Holy Land" (Israel), "Louder than Bombs" (Poland), "Never Mind the Wall" and "Too Soon for Sorry" (Germany) ((410) 752-8083, http://mdfilmfest.com). Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.