A few weeks ago, my friends and I decided to give “The Keeper: The Legend Of Omar Khayyam'' by Kayvan Mashayekh a watch. I was initially turned off upon seeing the total digits of its lengthy duration. But do not be fooled, this movie is quite the emotional masterpiece for those that love historical fiction and the Middle-East.

It starts off in the present day with a shot of some elementary school kids playing soccer in a field. Pretty innocent right? Now we're getting introduced to our primary protagonists: Kamran (a 12-year-old boy.), his brother (who’s suffering from terminal-stage cancer), and his Persian-American family. As they struggle together emotionally and financially to sustain Kamran’s brother for just a little longer, Kamran’s brother discovers that he and his family are descendants of the mathematician, astronomer, and poet, Omar Khayyam. Then we’re transported to the Middle Ages, where a single mother in Persia is struck with so much poverty that she may potentially be sold into slavery or put in prison. Out of desperation, she sends her son, Omar, to a boarding school under the supervision of a merciful imam who takes him in as an apprentice. Already starting on a very intense note, as you can see. Even then, Omar's future looks very promising. The imam, named Muaffak, saw a special God-given gift in Omar that impressed him very much. Omar had a knack for numbers, equations, the stars, and a higher rate of literacy than any of the other boys at the boarding school.

During his time at the boarding school, Omar meets two other kids who would eventually sow his destiny: Hassan Sabah, and Darya. 

As all children tend to; Omar, Hassan, and Darya had to grow up. Omar became a scholar of astronomy, mathematics, and literacy. Hassan was constantly facing the pressure of being a part of the Malik's (king's) court due to his father's rich political-military legacy. But the biggest pressure that both men had to face was to win the heart of their beloved Darya. This is when the real action happens.

Back in the present day, Kamran risks his life traveling alone to London and present-day Iran to obtain the only remainder of his ancestor, Omar’s, legacy; the book of his rubaiyat. Meanwhile, in the middle-ages, things culminate as Darya gives up her life to save her soulmate, Omar, from being murdered by the ruthless assassins sent by their enemy, Hassan, after getting steamy and passionate with each other after much time that they hadn’t seen each other. The movie ends on a bittersweet note with both Kamran’s grandfather and brother dying peacefully after being reassured that their family legacy would continue through the famous rubaiyat of their ancestor, Omar Khayyam. Overall, I rate this movie a 9/10 because Mashayekh exposed a side of Omar Khayyam that we’ve never seen before. A passionate, funny, and courageous side. While there was some hanky panky, I'm so glad it was limited in order to let the rest of the plot develop and to at least allow for a PG-13 rating so more people can experience this film. Hopefully we’ll get a sequel soon!