|
| Movie Review: A Separation Alternate Title: Secrets and Lies
Story: This film has it all.
Incredible acting and a riveting plot about little lies that keep growing
until they are out of control. It takes place in contemporary Iran.
We get a small glimpse into a society that is riven with class and gender
distinctions, and a judicial system that is overpowered by religious
doctrine. The film starts out in a courtroom where Simin
is trying to get a divorce from her husband Nadar. She wants to leave
the country with their 11 year old daughter, Termeh, but he won't leave
because he has to take care of his elderly father who has Alzheimer's
disease. The judge will not grant the divorce and so they separate. Bringing in a housekeeper to care for his father brings additional
drama. A fight, a lie, another lie and on and on. The setup takes awhile
to exposit but once it is all laid out - the pace quickens and we get
involved in everyone's lives. Who is good? Who is bad? Who is right?
Who is wrong? Who gets torn apart and is justice ever served? This is a fine film and I highly recommend it to all. It was written,
produced and directed by Asghar Farhadi. It is in Persian,
with English subtitles. Watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Sswx_vrWk Acting: The entire cast is sensational including:
Leila Hatami (Simin), Peyman Moadi (Nader), Shahab Hosseini (Hodjat),
Sareh Bayat (Razieh), Sarina Farhadi (Termeh), Babak Karimi (Judge),
Ali-Asghar Shahbazi (Nader’s Father), Shirin Yazdanbakhsh (Simin’s
Mother), Kimia Hosseini (Somayeh) and Merila Zarei (Ms. Ghahraei). Predilection: I like to see Oscar nominated films.
Trivia: Asghar Farhadi is the first Iranian filmmaker
to win a Golden Globe (Best Foreign Language Film, A Separation). First
Iranian filmmaker to receive a nomination for a British Academy of Film
and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award (Best 'Film Not in the English Language,'
A Separation. Father of Sarina Farhadi who played Termeh, the 11-year-old
Daughter of Nader and Simin, in A Separation.
Critters: None
Food: None
Sex Spectrum: Definitely none
Visual Art: A fascinating look at he homes of Iranian
citizens.
Theater Audience: About 30 people.
Weather: Not a factor
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 0
Squirm Scale: 2
Drift Factor: I paid attention throughout
Predictability Level: I was not sure what was going
to happen.
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: It has already won the awards below.
Is an Oscar out of reach?
Winner, Best Picture= Golden Globes (USA) Foreign Films Big Screen or Rental: Chances of your seeing this
on the big screen are small.
Length: Two hours
LOBO HOWLS: 9 |
