By Robert St. Martin
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/21 23 – Playing late in the lineup of Outfest Los Angeles this Saturday is Milad Alami’s thriller Opponent (Sweden, 2023) – which stars Payman Maadi, star of the Oscar-winning film A Separation. Maadi provides a powerful performance as Iman, an Iranian refugee in a small town in northern Sweden, waiting with his family for a determination on their petition for asylum. Having abruptly fled Iran, he has claimed political persecution. When a translator suggests that their case might be stronger if Iman, a former Olympic wrestler, returned to the sport to compete for Sweden, he does so. But this decision brings him into conflict with his wife Maryam, with his former Iranian teammates, and with his own personal demons.
The official line is that Iman was outed by a teammate as a critic of the Iranian regime, placing his life in danger on home soil, though that’s not entirely the truth. An alternative tale begins to emerge when Iman is encouraged, against the wishes of his wife Maryam (Marall Nasiri), to join Sweden’s national wrestling team to solidify his case to remain in the country. Thus embedded, he strikes up a connection with a handsome Swedish teammate Thomas (Björn Elgerd), which soon reveals itself to be more than just a “bro” sports connection.
When the film begins, we are at the snowbound, wolf-patrolled landscape of northern Sweden, closing to the Finnish border. There, a few days later, we find Iman, his wife Maryam and their two daughters living in no-frills refugee accommodation. Iman ekes out a living delivering pizzas by snowmobile, bringing any leftover orders home to his family for dinner – “Pizza again?” the girls sigh – while awaiting a verdict from the Swedish authorities on the family’s asylum application. They move from one cramped apartment to another, amidst the constant flow of refugees. Iman’s wife Maryam is pregnant with their third child and she hopes her condition will help their cause with refugee status.
Once Iman decides to join the Swedish wrestling team, some of his past proclivities quickly emerge. We see his aggression a cover for his volatile insecurity which is triggered by his attraction to Thomas. He’s fiercely matched by his wife Nasiri, who seems to know more than she reveals. She is resentful of the role she must play as the devoted wife for her husband and the authorities. Her penetrating gaze sees what will become clearer as Iman settled back into the very physical world of wrestling.
Director Alami has created a film that brings into stark focus his observations on masculinity, intimacy and sexual repression. In the locker room and shower scenes, we see Iman’s furtive glances and his fear of exposure, particularly after Swedish teammate Thomas has progressed from welcoming friendship and warmth to undisguised sexual interest. Payman Maadi’s performance is mesmerizing, as he projects anxiety, yearning and anger. Iman’s past in Iran catches up with him in a vicious way at the training camp, where Swedish wrestlers go up against the Iranian national team. Iman proves resilient and refuses to be subdued.
Payman Maadi was born in New York to Iranian parents and moved to Iran when he was two years old. He graduated in metallurgical engineering from the Karaj Azad University. For his role in A Separation (2011) he won the prestigious Silver Berlin Bear for Best Actor at the 61st Berlin Film Festival, awarded to the acting ensemble. That film marked Maadi’s second collaboration with Asghar Farhadi, following his role in the internationally acclaimed drama About Elly (2009. Payman Maadi is also a successful screenwriter whose credits include the films Café Setarch (2006), Shaam-egrossi (2006), Coma (2004) and Atash (2002).
