A Separation-2011

Director Asghar Farhadi

Starring Leila Hatami, Peyman Moaadi

Scott’s Review #734

Reviewed March 21, 2018

Grade: A

A Separation is a 2011 Iranian film that won the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award statuette, the first Iranian film to receive the honor.

The film is a wonderfully complex family drama that weaves typical family issues (divorce and school issues) with more complicated cultural leanings, and keeps going with story nuances.

A Separation is directed by the acclaimed Asghar Farhadi, who is also responsible for the brilliant screenplay- this is a top-notch film.

Presumably set in Tehran, or a more progressive (by Iranian standards) city in Iran, husband and wife Nader and Simin reside with their teenage daughter, Termeh, and Nader’s elderly father, who has Alzheimer’s disease.

Frustrated by her husband’s refusal to leave the country for a better life, Simin files for divorce, but male judges reject her wish.

When she leaves her family anyway, Nader is forced to hire a pregnant caregiver, Razieh, to tend to his ailing father.

After a controversial tragedy ensues, causing Razieh to suffer a miscarriage, the film shifts directions and adds an entirely new layer to the already fascinating story.

Farhadi is keen to tell a good story. He traditionally mixes themes of culture and social class interestingly, as his future 2017 work, The Salesman, would also do.

Thanks to Farhadi’s innovative storytelling, more attention is paid to Iran and Iranian culture, humanizing its citizens through the craft of film.

We see Iranian people just like ourselves and not the radical or dangerous individuals we are programmed to see.

In A Separation, there are no clear-cut protagonists or antagonists, and the viewer’s allegiances may shift throughout the film.

Do we champion Simin for desiring a better life for herself and Termeh or scold her for refusing to live with her family? A progressive woman for sure, she is a layered character in her ambitions and her autonomy.

Nader is also a complex character- heroic for desiring the best care for his father, but he is also fraught with danger and a bad temperament, which is the main reason for the second half of the film and leads to Razieh’s predicament.

Viewers will not be sure whether Nader is a good man, a villain, or a hybrid of the two. This becomes the heart of the story and makes for an enthralling character-development experience.

As if the brilliant screenplay was not enough to demand a good watch, the acting across the board is wonderful.

A cast including seasoned Iranian actors Leila Hatami and Peyman Moaadi as Simin and Nader; these are my favorites and are quite adept at carrying along with the nail-biting tension in masterful form.

Shades of Alfred Hitchcock are evident throughout the film as the tension unfolds to a crescendo and the action builds and builds and builds in layers upon layers of good stuff.

The quick editing and unique camera angles mirror some classic works of the famous director.

A Separation succeeds because of its fast-paced, tightly edited construction; in a way that, at over two hours long, it moves quickly and leaves viewers pondering, wondering, thinking, and questioning.

Asghar Farhadi has quickly become a prominent director, faced obstacles in his native country, and yet surpassed them to create a great film.

I look forward to many more of his works.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Original Screenplay, Best Foreign Language Film (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best International Film (won)