Hattrick

Farzad and Lida are married. Their friend Keivan has recently started dating Raha. One night, on their way home from a party, the two couples have a mysterious car accident. They know they've hit something, but no one saw exactly what happened, and Farzad, who was driving, is reluctant to investigate too closely. They go back to Raha's apartment to try to figure out what to do, examining the car's bumper and calling local hospitals to ask about hit-and-runs. As confusion and fear give way to guilt and blame, the tension rises and fault lines appear. Simmering resentments emerge and secrets and lies are exposed. Farzad cares less about his gambling problem, which threatens both his marriage and his friendship with Keivan, than about the outcome of the Real Madrid game in which he's backed the underdog. Meanwhile both Keivan and Raha have been hedging their bets in their new relationship. Director Ramtin Lavafi is working with a great ensemble cast in this tense chamber drama about the secrets we keep and the determining role of luck in how life plays out, for better and for worse. (Seattle International Film Festival)