A Separation (2011)

A Separation (2011)

Iranian star director Asghar Farhadi’s delicate drama deals with the complexity of human morals and serves as a perfect introduction to the rich film culture of Iran

The Very Best

9.7

Movie

Australia, France
Persian
Drama
2011
ASGHAR FARHADI
Ali-Asghar Shahbazi, Babak Karimi, Bahareh Riahi
123 min

What it's about

A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.

The take

Not one but two Oscars as well as a Golden Globe are among this movie’s never-ending list of accolades. It was the first Iranian film ever to get an Oscar and the first non-English film ever nominated for Best Screenplay. Originally titled The Separation of Nader from Simin in Persian, it homes in on the dissolving relationship of a middle-class couple from Teheran – and the unintended consequences of tragic events.

However, this film is so intense, well-acted, and well-written, it defies categorization. To be sure, the movie does offer a painful look at a deteriorating marriage. It’s also timely, dealing with the politics of theocracy, economic underdevelopment, and social alienation. It presents tense moral dilemmas without pointing a finger. If you’re curious to learn about the humans of Iran and, by cultural extension, the humans of the Middle East beyond the scope of global politics, A Separation is also for you.

But please don’t call it world cinema, because this is no Slumdog Millionaire. Above all, it is a searing portrayal of human conflict, relationships, and morals. It is an almost perfect depiction of how many bad people are simply good people running out of options.

Comments

Very good film. The way it is shot makes it incredibly thrilling from start to finish. Must watch

Watching this movie made me appreciate foreign cinema. I didn’t even notice the time passing, so hard to agree with anyone calling this movie slow.

It can be slow at times but it’s still a great movie. It’s different from other things you could watch

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