The Perfect Candidate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Haifaa Al Mansour
- Brad Niemann
- Haifaa Al Mansour
- Gerhard Meixner
- Roman Paul
- Mila Alzahrani
- Dhay
- Nourah Al Alwad
- Khalid Abduirhim
| The Perfect Candidate | |
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 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Haifaa al-Mansour |
| Written by |
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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 |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Music Box Films |
Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Language | Arabic |
| Box office | $1.3 million[1] |
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]
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.
Cast
- Mila Al Zahrani as Maryam
- Nora Al Awadh as Sara
- Dhay as Selma
Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 83 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 71 out of 100, based on 20 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]