Fridae

Now here's a film for philosophical sluts (and we know you're reading this). Like Germany's Wim Wenders, Iran's Mohsen Makhmalbaf is an artistic giant whose name inspires awe and reverence among serious movie lovers around the world. His films like Gabbeh and Salaam Cinema brought unprecedented attention and respect to Iranian cinema.

His new film, Sex & Philosophy, examines the transient nature of love in the contemporary world. It seems that the more sexually-obsessed the world becomes, the harder it is to carry out a long-term relationship. The more lovers you have, the farther away you could be from finding true love.

The film revolves around a male dance teacher (Dalir Nazarov) who, on his 40th birthday, summons his four ex-lovers to see him in his classroom. Subsequently, he discusses his relationships with them, revealing his true emotions and infidelities. He gives each woman a parting gift � a stopwatch � and asks them to track each minute of true love that they experience from then on.

At times, the discussions in Sex & Philosophy feels forced and fake, with the discussions being anything but dramatically convincing. But there are some formalistic flourishes that are aesthetically impressive, and the subject matter itself is a bold one. A must-see for art film lovers.