Universal Language Review: Matthew Rankin’s Film Is A Unique Blend Of Two Worlds, Emotions And Human Connections!
Universal Language is directed by Matthew Rankin and has won many International Awards. Here's what we feel about it.
4 / 5
Watching Universal Language by Matthew Rankin was a completely new experience for me. This quirky, peculiar take on humanity, human connections, and the merging of worlds evoked a plethora of feelings in me. It is set in the snowy landscape of Canada, where people speak the Persian language. The setting is absurd, there is subtle comedy, and multiple stories are running simultaneously in the film, only to come together in the end. It’s shot artistically with every frame trying to put across a point, very much like the Iranian New Wave. Here’s a quick review of the film, which will be showcased at the upcoming Red Lorry Film Festival in Mumbai. Read on.
Universal Language is a film that follows a very unconventional method of storytelling and filmmaking. It blends culture, art, human emotions and more to come up with something that stays with you. I was transported to a different world while watching this film by Matthew Rankin. At first, it was so unusual to watch the city of Winnipeg in Canada with Iranian residents speaking in Farsi. The film starts with some kids learning French from a very annoying teacher who refuses to teach the class after a student loses his spectacles to a turkey. Okay, another interesting thing about this world was that all the elders in the city are obsessed with turkey; they only talk about that. And somehow, even the people love turkey a lot. Anyways, back to the kid’s story, two sisters decide to help their classmate when they find 500-Riel stuck in the ice. They need an axe to break the ice, and these kids go around the city looking for one!
In another story, a man (Matthew Rankin) has left his tiring job in Montreal to return to his hometown, Winnipeg. However, things are not the same after years. He calls his mother first thing after returning only to know that she is living with a man, Massoud, and sees his son in him. There is a sense of displacement here. Massoud is, BTW, a tour guide who also does other multiple jobs and had promised the two girls to wait for them till they return with an axe.
Nothing about this world of Universal Language is usual. It’s all distorted, but it makes so much sense in the end. The lives of every character in the story meet in the end, which tells us that humans are connected. The scenes are shot in a way where sometimes the world comes to a standstill, and you are left to be a part of that moment. The background score follows the pace of the film and gives the audience an immersive experience. Comedy is subtle and is wrapped in the characters and the plot. In this film, Canada’s Tim Hortons does not serve coffee but the popular Iranian tea. The kid was not joking, a turkey did run away with his spectacles. Their elders are delusional, and there is a man dressed beautifully as a decorated tree. Everything is absurd, but if you look closer, this distorted world still makes sense.
Universal Language won many international awards. If you are a cinephile or even someone who loves exploring different genres of films defying borders, then do catch Universal Language at the Red Lorry Film Festival in Mumbai.
First Published: March 11, 2025 2:01 PM
