Farhadi's Parallel Tales Overloads Voyeurism at Cannes

At Cannes, Asghar Farhadi's Parallel Tales unfolds as a stylish but frustrating ensemble drama about voyeurism and the tension between truth and imagination. Isabelle Huppert leads as Sylvie with Virginie Efira in dual roles as Anna, weaving together interlocking story threads that echo Dekalog but never fully cohere. The film is visually polished and features strong performances, especially Efira, and Zbigniew Preisner’s score, but the overstuffed structure drains momentum over its 2 hour 20 minute runtime. Plans to remake the Dekalog chapters are mentioned, but the reviewer feels the movie remains underpowered and overly convoluted.