Our take
Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem star in this mystery by Asghar Farhadi, the Iranian Oscar-winning director of A Separation and The Salesman. When Laura returns to her small Spanish hometown with her two daughters, she is greeted with the warm welcome worthy of someone who once was a loved member of the community. However, when an event concerning one of her daughters happens at a wedding, secrets come to the surface about her history that threaten the fabric of the whole village. Laura is masterfully played by Penélope Cruz, who seems to shift gears in this Spanish-language movie. Farhadi is outside of his usual territory, but he does what he does best: deliver a rich, thrilling family drama.
What it won
Cannes
1 nom
Goya Awards
8 noms
The story
Laura, a Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires, returns to her hometown outside Madrid with her Argentinian husband and children. However, the trip is upset by unexpected events that bring secrets into the open.
Elsewhere
"The movie is not to be skipped. You should sample its mixture of bacchanal and gall, and revel in Farhadi's dependable deftness, as he sketches and frames his collection of characters."
— Anthony Lane
"A film of heart-wrenching moments that never quite lands a telling emotional blow."
— Adam Woodward
The details
Who picked it
Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is based in the US and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.
It’s a good psychological thriller about family and secrets. I loved the actors, the story and the directing, but it still felt long. Perhaps better editing would have yielded a better movie.