Ali and Nino (film)

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Ali and Nino
Ali and Nino poster.jpg
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Directed by Asif Kapadia
Written by Christopher Hampton
Based on Ali and Nino
by Kurban Said
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyGökhan Tiryaki
Edited byAlexander Berner
Music by Dario Marianelli [1]
Production
companies
Release dates
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUK
Language
Budget$20 million [3]

Ali and Nino is a 2016 British-Azerbaijani war film, based on Kurban Said's 1937 novel of the same name. The film is written by Christopher Hampton [4] and directed by Asif Kapadia. [5] It stars Maria Valverde [6] and Adam Bakri. [7]

Contents

Plot

During the Russian Empire, Ali and Nino fall in love. Ali is a Muslim from Azerbaijan who lives in the oil-rich city of Baku, in the family's Shirvanshir Palace. Nino is a Georgian Orthodox Christian whose wealthy Kipiani family also lives in Baku. Ali's friend, Malik, agrees to help bring the aristocratic parents to accept a marriage. World War I breaks out in Europe.

Malik and Nino go to the opera, while Ali and Nino agree to secretly meet afterward. Armenian Malik has also fallen in love with Nino and kidnaps her planning his own marriage to her. Prince Ali confronts and kills Malik with a dagger. Ali is injured during the fight and escapes to Dagestan to heal and hide out from Malik's powerful Nachararyan family. The Russian Revolution deposes Nicholas II of Russia.

Tamar is afraid no one will ever marry her daughter Nino and plans to send her to Moscow. Others have their own plans. Ever loyal Mustafa reunites Nino and Ali in the mountains. After a night of lovemaking and with Nino's virginity gone, Ali yells out to call a Mullah. Mustafa assures the couple no priest is necessary for he can perform the marriage ceremony. Despite aristocratic childhoods, simple country life suits the newlyweds and they find true happiness. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic wins its own independence.

Ali returns to Baku and gets appointed Deputy Foreign Minister. He begins to raise his young family in a free homeland. The young country signs friendship treaties with its neighbors but they fear the Bolsheviks in Russia. Learning that the Russians have amassed 30,000 troops on the border, the Azerbaijan government flees by train. As Nino and their daughter head toward Paris, Ali jumps off the train and blows up the bridge. Nino is safe but Ali gets shot and killed defending his country.

Epilogue text states that Ali Khan Shirvanshir died aged 24, Prime Minister Fatali Khan was assassinated 6 weeks later, it was 71 years before, in 1991, Azerbaijan reclaimed its independence, and Nino and her daughter escaped to Paris, but never returned to Baku.

Cast

Production

Most of the film was shot in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Georgia and Russia. [8]

Reception

The film received mostly mixed-to-negative reviews. It holds a 40% rating on the film review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes from a sample of 10 critics. [9] On Metacritic, the film holds 50 out of a 100 score, based on 4 critics. [10] The Los Angeles Times said, "Kapadia treats intimacy like exposition — time-passage updates mark every scene — leaving his leads to flounder against backdrops. There's zero chemistry or feeling to this sweeping, predictable endeavor, only the scent of what might have been." [11] Godfrey Cheshire of RogerEbert.com gave Ali and Nino 2.5 out of 5, [12] while CinaFilm gave the film 3 out of 5 (62%), based on 8 critical reviews. [13]

Ken Jaworowski of The New York Times said that "[the film], adapted by Christopher Hampton ( Atonement [and] Dangerous Liaisons ) and shot in Azerbaijan and Turkey, rarely chooses a complex emotion when a straightforward one will do, though it does seek out ornate and grand images. Sure, beauty only gets you so far, but here that's quite a long way." [14]

Ali and Nino was screened at the Sundance Film Festival where it was reviewed by Peter Debruge of the Variety Magazine , who said that "in this uneven return to fiction filmmaking, 'Amy' director Asif Kapadia struggles to convey the sense of tragedy that has made his documentaries so powerful". [15]

Related Research Articles

Articles related to the Azerbaijan Republic include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fatali Khan Khoyski</span> Azerbaijani attorney (1875–1920)

Fatali Khan Iskandar Khan oghlu Khoyski was an Azerbaijani attorney, a member of the Second State Duma of the Russian Empire, Minister of Internal Affairs, Minister of Defense and, later the first Prime Minister of the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

<i>Ali and Nino</i> 1937 Azerbaijani novel

Ali and Nino is a novel about a romance between a Muslim Azerbaijani boy and Christian Georgian girl in Baku in the years 1914–1920. It explores the dilemmas created by "European" rule over an "Oriental" society and presents a tableau portrait of Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, during the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic period that preceded the long era of Soviet rule. It was published under the pseudonym Kurban Said. The novel has been published in more than 30 languages, with more than 100 editions or reprints. The book was first published in Vienna in German in 1937, by E.P. Tal Verlag. It is widely regarded as a literary masterpiece and since its rediscovery and global circulation, which began in 1970, it is commonly considered the national novel of Azerbaijan. The English translation, by Jenia Graman, was published in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirza Fatali Akhundov</span> Iranian Azerbaijani author (1812–1878)

Mirza Fatali Akhundov, also known as Mirza Fatali Akhundzade, or Mirza Fath-Ali Akhundzadeh, was a celebrated Iranian Azerbaijani author, playwright, atheist, philosopher, and founder of Azerbaijani modern literary criticism, "who acquired fame primarily as the writer of European-inspired plays in the Azeri Turkic language".

Azerbaijani National Council was the first delegated legislative body of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) from 27 May 1918 to 17 June 1918 and again from 16 November 1918 to 3 December 1918. It was succeeded by the Parliament, a legislative body formed through nationwide general elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli</span> Azerbaijani writer and politician (1887–1943)

Yusif Vazir Chamanzaminli, also spelled Chemenzeminli, born Yusif Mirbaba oghlu Vazirov was an Azerbaijani statesman and writer known for his novels, short stories, essays, and diaries. Evidence points to the fact that Chamanzaminli was the primary core author of the famous romance novel Ali and Nino first published in 1937 in Austria under the pen-name of Kurban Said.

Fatali Khan or Fath Ali Khan of Quba was a khan of the Quba Khanate (1758–1789) who also managed to dominate the Derbent, Baku, Talysh and Shirvan Khanates, as well as the Salyan Sultanate during much of his reign.

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Adam Bakri is a Palestinian actor. He made his feature film debut by starring in Oscar-nominated film Omar, directed by Hany Abu-Assad. As of 2024, he lives in New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmad Huseinzadeh</span>

Ahmad Huseinzadeh also known as Sheikh Ahmad Salyani — third Sheikh ul-Islam of the Caucasus, maternal grandfather of Ali bey Huseynzade.

Mirza Muhammad Khan I was the founding Khan of the Baku Khanate. He was a descendant of the Iranian garrison commander of Baku of 1723.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mustafa Mardanov</span> Soviet actor (1894–1968)

Mustafa Hashim oghlu Mardanov was a Soviet and Azerbaijani stage and film actor. People's Artiste of the Azerbaijan SSR (1943).

Malik Muhammad Khan was second khan of Baku and a son of Mirza Muhammad Khan.

Muhammad Husayn Khan Mushtaq, was the third khan of Shaki. He was described as a courageous but ruthless man by Abbasgulu agha Bakikhanov.

Salim Khan was the sixth khan of Shaki. He was described as kind and joyful, but unmerciful man by Abbasgulu Bakikhanov.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic</span> Governing body

Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the legislative branch of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. It was the parliament of the first parliamentary republic in the Caucasus Region of Central Asia.

Ahmad Khan of Quba (1769–1791) was a Khan of Quba and a successor of Fatali Khan who managed to dominate Derbent, Baku, Talysh and Shirvan Khanates, as well as Salyan Sultanate during much of his reign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amir Hamza III</span> Utsmiy of Kaytag

Amir Hamza III was an khan of Kaitags who ruled Kaitag Utsmiate from 1751 to 1787. He was known as a significant military figure in the history of Dagestan and Transcaucasia in the 18th century.

Shaykh Ali Khan or Shikh Ali Khan was the last khan of Quba before its annexation to Russian Empire.

Members of the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic or Legislative Base of the Azerbaijan Republic were the members of the Parliament of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which was established as a continuation of the Azerbaijani National Council on December 7, 1918, as the legislative body of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

References

  1. ↑ "Dario Marianelli to Score Laika's 'Kubo and the Two Strings'". filmmusicreporter.com. 28 April 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  2. ↑ "Ali & Nino". BBFC .
  3. ↑ "Box office / business for Ali and Nino". imdb.com. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  4. ↑ Lodderhose, Diana (9 January 2012). "Christopher Hampton to adapt 'Ali and Nino'". Variety . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Brzeski, Patrick (19 May 2013). "U.K. Director Asif Kapadia to Helm 'Ali and Nino' From PeaPie Films]". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  6. ↑ "Maria Valverde to star in 'Ali & Nino'". Yahoo! . 9 January 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  7. ↑ Елена Остапенко История любви Али и Нино вскоре появится на больших экранах [The History of Love of Ali and Nino Will Soon Arrive to the Big Screen]. 1news.az. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  8. ↑ Jaafar, Ali (8 January 2015). "Maria Valverde Joins 'Ali & Nino'; Principal Photography To Begin In February". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  9. ↑ "Ali & Nino". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Ali and Nino". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Abele, Robert (17 November 2016). "Review Fiction proves challenging for director Asif Kapadia with WWI drama 'Ali and Nino'" . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Cheshire, Godfrey (18 November 2016). "Ali & Nino". RogerEbert.com . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  13. ↑ "Ali and Nino (2016)". CinaFilm. 27 January 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  14. ↑ Jaworowski, Ken (17 November 2016). "Review: 'Ali and Nino', a Love Story Set Against Majestic Backdrops". The New York Times . Retrieved 18 March 2021.
  15. ↑ Debruge, Peter (5 February 2016). "Sundance Film Review: 'Ali and Nino'". Variety .
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