How far would you go to get back the son you never knew? The Great Leap gives a very complicated and forgetful answer that can leave you more satisfied with its photography than for its plot.

Maryam receives shocking news from her ex-husband’s brother. Her son, who she thought had died 10 years ago, is still alive. However, he is now lost due to carelessness on part of his uncle. Now, Maryam together with the help of Man and a random trio of circus rejects decides to look for the son society hid from her, but how far can a mother’s love for a son that brings trouble and misfortune go?

The Great Leap is an interesting mix of mystery, suspense and dark comedy that has its charm at first, but it gets lost by the time you realize it’s been trying to solve its problems for too long and it can’t seem to get past its central idea. It is an Iranian film tailored to what you expect from independent cinema, flooded with irreverence that might satisfy some lovers of the art while others might question whether this is only made for the personal taste of the director.

The director seems to have chosen to overdevelop the adventures of all the others who travel in the van, leaving aside the purpose of the trip to include unusual moments that I suppose could add value to the comic relief characters but the interest in knowing how they come to find Maryam’s son is more than enough and frustrating to care over others. It gets a bit lost to develop the personal growth of each character and, although most of the time it centers the viewer’s attention on long shots to show their lives and the characteristics they have, this is stagnant due to the lack of evolution for each one. The acting is superb but the characters lack steadiness to become relevant.

The movie has an incredible score that goes very well with some of the old-school shots paneling the exterior of each moment. At times these panoramic shots are even taken to a closer headshot extent that makes the cinematography more likable— it adds an artistic body under the skin of a coming attraction.

The Great Leap should’ve built a bridge to end the insufferable journey as soon as possible. You might take with you many beautiful memories that will be etched in your mind, but when you remember that you never saw the great attraction, the main reason you agreed to travel, you will think about the time you wasted and prepare your makeup to paint a clown face. With its ongoing random circus theme all you might come to think is it pulls too many clowns out of a car that’s going nowhere.

This film is part of Fantaspoa, which runs for free on the streaming platform Darkflix, from April 9th through the 18th. All film screenings are geo-blocked to Brazil, with additional details available at www.fantaspoa.com.

5 OUT OF 10 CIRCUS TENTS