Directed by Manijeh Hekmat, Bandar Band follows a trio of musicians as they attempt to make their way across Iran’s Khuzestan Province’s flooded landscape to an important battle-of-the-bands concert. There’s little doubt that Bandar Band is at its best in its lighthearted yet engaging first half, as filmmaker Hekmat, working from a script written with Mostafa Zandi, does a superb job of establishing the picture’s affable central characters and their episodic exploits – with, especially, the movie benefiting substantially from the charming work of its actors and, as well, the often striking cinematography by Sajjad Avarand. It’s equally clear, however, that the film does suffer from a somewhat hit-and-miss midsection that diminishes its overall impact, with the increased emphasis on the various obstacles in the protagonists’ way ultimately not faring as well as Hekmat has surely intended (ie the banter between the heroes remains an ongoing highlight, to be sure). The end result is an erratic piece of work that feels long even at 75 minutes, and yet it’s hard to deny that Bandar Band isn’t lacking for charming elements. **1/2 out of ****