The Perfect Candidate
| The Perfect Candidate | |
|---|---|
 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]
Plot
[edit]![[icon]](/everything/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (December 2025) |
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.
Her becoming a candidate is an accidental result of her attempt to apply for a permit to leave the country. She runs her campaign around a single issue, that the road to the hospital be improved. Although many women agree with her message, they are intimidated by their guardians, and the men in her community don't take her seriously. ref>"Film review: The Perfect Candidate". Law Society Journal. 24 April 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2026.</ref>
Cast
[edit]- Mila Al Zahrani as Maryam
- Nora Al Awadh as Sara
- Dhay as Selma
Reception
[edit]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]
Awards
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "The Perfect Candidate (2019)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (25 July 2019). "Joker, Ad Astra, The Laundromat, Marriage Story to Compete in Venice". Variety. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ↑ "Venezia 76 Competition". labiennale.org. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ↑ Vivarelli, Nick (4 October 2019). "Haifaa Al Mansour's The Perfect Candidate Is Saudi Arabia's Oscar Contender". Variety. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
- ↑ "The Perfect Candidate (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ↑ "The Perfect Candidate Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
- ↑ Young, Deborah (29 August 2019). "'The Perfect Candidate': Film Review | Venice 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
- ↑ "Mostra del Cinema di Venezia: il premio Brian a "The perfect candidate"". A ragion veduta. UAAR. Retrieved 10 September 2022.