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‘Universal Language’ Review: Matthew Rankin Channels the Best of Iranian Cinema in Absurdist Canadian Comedy
The concept may not be intuitive, but the cross-cultural humor is certainly appealing in Matthew Rankin’s singular Cannes satire, 'Universal Language'
Taking his cues from such Iranian classics as “Children of Heaven” and “The White Balloon,” Rankin mixes the humanism of Majid Majidi, Jafar Panahi, et al. with his own peculiar brand of comedy (as seen in the more off-the-wall “The Twentieth Century”), offering a delightful cross-cultural hybrid designed to celebrate our differences. No, commencing à la “Borat” (with its faux-Kazakh title cards), this absurdist comedy’s opening dedication reads “in the name of Friendship.” Once Rankin has pushed past any knee-jerk xenophobia, and audiences start to recognize a few recurring characters, it’s a cinch to embrace the film’s endearing young ensemble (mostly students from the aforementioned classroom, going about various extracurricular pursuits). Rankin makes the city look downright dreary, filling the frame with beige brick walls, multi-story parking structures and concrete as far as the eye can see — backdrops that recall the locations in “Playtime,” minus Jacques Tati’s charitable feel for modern architecture (vintage-looking advertising posters and parody TV spots are a nice touch).
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