The Perfect Candidate (Arabic: المرشحة المثالية, romanized: al-muraššaḥa al-mithāliyya) is a 2019 Saudi Arabian drama film directed by Haifaa al-Mansour. It was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.[2][3] It was also selected as the Saudi Arabian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, but it was not nominated.[4]
The Perfect Candidate | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Haifaa al-Mansour |
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Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Patrick Orth |
Edited by | Andreas Wodraschke |
Music by | Volker Bertelmann |
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Distributed by | Music Box Films |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
Country | Saudi Arabia |
Language | Arabic |
Box office | $1.3 million[1] |
A young female Saudi doctor's run for office in the local city elections forces her family and community to accept their town's first female candidate.
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 81 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "A message movie admirable for its subtlety as well as its execution, The Perfect Candidate faces oppression and powerfully advocates for change."[5] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Deborah Young called the film a "simplistic feminist tale with an irresistible heroine" and said: "The Perfect Candidate offers a candid view on Saudi Arabian society that will pique the curiosity of Western audiences."[7]
Films directed by Haifaa al-Mansour | |
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