[My movie reviews 1K ] A separation - the erosion of a family
This is a translated text of the Romanian review I wrote for koolhunt.ro (back when it was still raluk.ro) in October 2010, you can read the entire thing in the original here. The same structure of the article will be kept.
CoolRank: 8/10
- atmosphere & entertainment: 7/10
- directing: 9/10
- actors: 9/10
- screenplay: 8/10
- montage: 9/10
IMDb rating: 8.6/10
Nowadays Iran... I can jokingly say that I’m not completely unfamiliar with it: a friend from college is married to an Iranian guy and she also has a blog that I’m subscribed to.
But an Iranian family on the verge of break up doesn’t provide a good occasion to learn about their culture and civilization. At least not as the main focus of this movie. What you’re about to see in “A Separation” is a pure human drama, followed with delicacy in many of the facets through which it influences the lives of the ones involved. Even if they’re not quite in the core of the events about to be discussed.
Does he even realize you are his son? I know he is my father!
Without hesitation, we’re practically cast right in between Nader (Peyman Maadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami). We learn that Simin wants to leave her husband because he won’t emigrate. Being exactly in the position of the judge, we’re dynamically involved in what is happening on the screen. The beginning is clear: Simin wants the divorce as she is very determined to fight for the chances of a better life for their daughter, Termeh - actually, all three of them got visas. But Nader won’t go - his father has advanced Alzheimer’s disease and filial duty dictates that he should be taken care of as long as necessary.
The judge says “no” to their divorce, so Simin moves with her parents, letting Nader handle by himself the issues of both his father and their almost-11 years old daughter. Nader is forced to hire a woman to take care of his father while he is at work.
Razieh (Sareh Bayat) is pregnant, religious (almost zealous, I’d say) with a little girl she brings with her to “work”.
Still, taking care of an old, sick man, who hardly recognizes anything around him, can be really tough, and not only as far as “logistics” go, but also considering religion taboos (before cleaning him, the woman calls someone to find out if it’s “proper” for her to do so). Pretty soon after, she is literally thrown out, called “a thief and a liar”. It’s all downhill from here - Razieh has a miscarriage and files a complaint in court, Nader being liable also for murder charges. How will the confrontations before the legal authorities end? Will they reach a financial agreement or the conflict will go even deeper? Was this a Golden Globe worthy movie? How about an Oscar? Some answers are just easier found than others...
What is wrong is wrong, no matter who said it or where it’s written.
In short, I liked the movie. It’s the kind of drama that doesn’t embellish reality, in fact, I think I’d liked it even more if some of the blustering had been toned down - but this is closely related to my inner pacifist ways and the need of escapism, and not to the movie being made better. I actually thought that what I saw here bears a striking resemblance to the circumstances I grew up in. The religious and economic restrictions (Razieh’s family is poorer than Nader’s and they’re in great need for the money she provides, while Nader and Simin are somewhat of the middle class), the censorship, nowhere to be found really, but definitely applied to the movie... all that summed up and gave me such a “familiar” feeling, a sort of smoldered life that I used to feel before ‘89, having causes that I wasn’t quite aware of. I’ve revisited this kind of atmosphere in the movie, and it took me some time till I realised why I was grasping it. It’s really interesting to watch the crippling of some relationships, that from an open and sincere start, they get twisted, full of misunderstandings or half-truths, and then reach a final resolution, whichever that may be.
What can be said about the actors and the director?
Iranian director and screenwriter, Asghar Farhadi, is no newbie of the cinema world. Making his debut 11 years ago, he’s accustomed to receiving awards in various international film festivals (Chicago, Warsow, Berlin, Teheran, Sydney, Brisbane), and each piece of his work has been acknowledged and acclaimed around the world. Up till the most recent Golden Globe, “A separation” had already brought him at least 2 awards for “best director”, one being the Golden Bear from Berlin. Constrained also by the censorship, most definitely, the film compresses in itself more than the family crisis, even if it takes place in an exotic land, of which we are compelled to find out more. Although there are upset voices on various message boards that the non-Iranians are not shown more of the beautiful life that in fact the people lead, the reality suggested by the film isn’t peachy at all - please remember that “A separation” passed the censor twice, once when the script was ready, and then after the movie was made. We won’t depict anywhere lying in the open all the reasons for which Simin wants to leave so badly, that she gives up her 14 years of marriage and takes on all the imbalances that we’ll see happening further.
The more I think about it, the more I find similarities to my own experience: the parent that wants to leave, to change everything for the chance of a better future for the children, and the one that will stay put, fighting for his rights, even if he’s hedged in with all the religious traditions and a corrupt state. You can almost hear him thinking: “What happens if we all left in time of trouble? Let’s stay and try to make things work over here”. Nader’s lesson taught to his girl in the gas station, the tenacity when sustaining his own cause in front of the judge, all that shows he’s definitely not willing to stomach anything undeservedly. Even if we have an open ending, Asghar Farhadi plants enough clues along the way for us to infer what will happen next. He even stated at some point that out of respect for the public, the meaning of a movie shouldn’t be summed up in just one sentence, on the contrary, it should tackle complex issues, and it’s important that they be discussed.
What struck me watching A Separation is that it’s practically without any soundtrack music. Only the closing shot made me realise this - the piano playing in the background as the credits started rolling help rendering one of the very emotional scenes that I’ve seen in a while. After all, it’s a trick that (if you don’t mind a little play upon words) by missing only adds to the feelings of reality, raw life, the “seeing there the next door neighbor or even ourselves” that I’ve had from the first moments into the film.
The actors... well, I’m smitten.
Unfortunately, because I haven’t seen any of their other movies, I can only appreciate them based on the roles they had in this one... Leila Hatami (playing Simin) was already awarded a Silver Bear (Berlin) for her role in A Separation. Making her debut in her father’s films (famous Iranian director, her mother being an actress), she isn’t receiving her first acting award, so the appreciation brought by her latest role is not by some sort of accident. I was completely charmed by her grace, firmness, discreet acting, and her compelling presence deeply felt throughout the entire movie.
Peyman Maadi (as Nader) is also a screenwriter (but not for this film), and his first role was in another movie, also awarded, of Asghar Farhadi (About Elly). I haven’t seen him in that, but as Nader he succeeds in keeping the character very close-by to a thin line between the honest father who’s been wronged and a man who knows more than he says and whose unknown intentions kinda creep you out. He, too, has a Silver Bear from Berlin for the role in “A Separation”.
Termeh is played by the director’s daughter, Sarina Farhadi, and there’s no trace of hesitation or fake in any of the scenes she’s a part of.
Sareh Bayat (playing Razieh) managed to save (in my eyes, at least) the character of the religious woman, gradually unraveling the resorts that make her come alive. Honestly, I was so close to dismissing Razieh as being plain dumb, and I’m sure I would’ve had much more to say if I’d heard the story from someone else (vs. my seeing the movie).
Well, I still have more - but on the “what do critics say about it” subject. Oh and... she also got a Silver Bear from Berlin for her performance.
What do critics say about “A Separation”?
We definitely have an Oscar winning movie... because Separation is unanimously appreciated on metacritic.com, with 95 points out of 100 (from 36 reviews) and a mark of 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 from 98 votes. On rottentomatoes.com we have a similar situation: 99% fresh out of 100 reviews, which means only one is rotten in there (ahem, ahem, David Nussair, Reel Film Reviews - “kitchen-sink drama”) for Separation. Out of 5883 users, 94% liked it. If this doesn’t also mean an unanimously given Oscar, then at least this movie will be able to stand next to others that never got any, but became way more famous (some even iconic) than the ones that did (Pulp Fiction. Need I say more?).
Koolhunt verdikt
Go see it. Definitely. Even just to see what were all those international juries gave away the awards for, or maybe to catch a subdued and censored glimpse of nowadays Iran. A Separation is worth seeing - for me it was the astounding and more recent example of “less is more”, where things that seem brought intrusively from a family’s house may in fact open your eyes to the bigger, uglier pieces of the puzzle they are all a part of.
The sources for the images are here.
CoolRank: 8/10
- atmosphere & entertainment: 7/10
- directing: 9/10
- actors: 9/10
- screenplay: 8/10
- montage: 9/10
IMDb rating: 8.6/10
Nowadays Iran... I can jokingly say that I’m not completely unfamiliar with it: a friend from college is married to an Iranian guy and she also has a blog that I’m subscribed to.
But an Iranian family on the verge of break up doesn’t provide a good occasion to learn about their culture and civilization. At least not as the main focus of this movie. What you’re about to see in “A Separation” is a pure human drama, followed with delicacy in many of the facets through which it influences the lives of the ones involved. Even if they’re not quite in the core of the events about to be discussed.
Does he even realize you are his son? I know he is my father!
Without hesitation, we’re practically cast right in between Nader (Peyman Maadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami). We learn that Simin wants to leave her husband because he won’t emigrate. Being exactly in the position of the judge, we’re dynamically involved in what is happening on the screen. The beginning is clear: Simin wants the divorce as she is very determined to fight for the chances of a better life for their daughter, Termeh - actually, all three of them got visas. But Nader won’t go - his father has advanced Alzheimer’s disease and filial duty dictates that he should be taken care of as long as necessary.
The judge says “no” to their divorce, so Simin moves with her parents, letting Nader handle by himself the issues of both his father and their almost-11 years old daughter. Nader is forced to hire a woman to take care of his father while he is at work.
Razieh (Sareh Bayat) is pregnant, religious (almost zealous, I’d say) with a little girl she brings with her to “work”.
Still, taking care of an old, sick man, who hardly recognizes anything around him, can be really tough, and not only as far as “logistics” go, but also considering religion taboos (before cleaning him, the woman calls someone to find out if it’s “proper” for her to do so). Pretty soon after, she is literally thrown out, called “a thief and a liar”. It’s all downhill from here - Razieh has a miscarriage and files a complaint in court, Nader being liable also for murder charges. How will the confrontations before the legal authorities end? Will they reach a financial agreement or the conflict will go even deeper? Was this a Golden Globe worthy movie? How about an Oscar? Some answers are just easier found than others...
What is wrong is wrong, no matter who said it or where it’s written.
In short, I liked the movie. It’s the kind of drama that doesn’t embellish reality, in fact, I think I’d liked it even more if some of the blustering had been toned down - but this is closely related to my inner pacifist ways and the need of escapism, and not to the movie being made better. I actually thought that what I saw here bears a striking resemblance to the circumstances I grew up in. The religious and economic restrictions (Razieh’s family is poorer than Nader’s and they’re in great need for the money she provides, while Nader and Simin are somewhat of the middle class), the censorship, nowhere to be found really, but definitely applied to the movie... all that summed up and gave me such a “familiar” feeling, a sort of smoldered life that I used to feel before ‘89, having causes that I wasn’t quite aware of. I’ve revisited this kind of atmosphere in the movie, and it took me some time till I realised why I was grasping it. It’s really interesting to watch the crippling of some relationships, that from an open and sincere start, they get twisted, full of misunderstandings or half-truths, and then reach a final resolution, whichever that may be.
What can be said about the actors and the director?
Iranian director and screenwriter, Asghar Farhadi, is no newbie of the cinema world. Making his debut 11 years ago, he’s accustomed to receiving awards in various international film festivals (Chicago, Warsow, Berlin, Teheran, Sydney, Brisbane), and each piece of his work has been acknowledged and acclaimed around the world. Up till the most recent Golden Globe, “A separation” had already brought him at least 2 awards for “best director”, one being the Golden Bear from Berlin. Constrained also by the censorship, most definitely, the film compresses in itself more than the family crisis, even if it takes place in an exotic land, of which we are compelled to find out more. Although there are upset voices on various message boards that the non-Iranians are not shown more of the beautiful life that in fact the people lead, the reality suggested by the film isn’t peachy at all - please remember that “A separation” passed the censor twice, once when the script was ready, and then after the movie was made. We won’t depict anywhere lying in the open all the reasons for which Simin wants to leave so badly, that she gives up her 14 years of marriage and takes on all the imbalances that we’ll see happening further.
The more I think about it, the more I find similarities to my own experience: the parent that wants to leave, to change everything for the chance of a better future for the children, and the one that will stay put, fighting for his rights, even if he’s hedged in with all the religious traditions and a corrupt state. You can almost hear him thinking: “What happens if we all left in time of trouble? Let’s stay and try to make things work over here”. Nader’s lesson taught to his girl in the gas station, the tenacity when sustaining his own cause in front of the judge, all that shows he’s definitely not willing to stomach anything undeservedly. Even if we have an open ending, Asghar Farhadi plants enough clues along the way for us to infer what will happen next. He even stated at some point that out of respect for the public, the meaning of a movie shouldn’t be summed up in just one sentence, on the contrary, it should tackle complex issues, and it’s important that they be discussed.
What struck me watching A Separation is that it’s practically without any soundtrack music. Only the closing shot made me realise this - the piano playing in the background as the credits started rolling help rendering one of the very emotional scenes that I’ve seen in a while. After all, it’s a trick that (if you don’t mind a little play upon words) by missing only adds to the feelings of reality, raw life, the “seeing there the next door neighbor or even ourselves” that I’ve had from the first moments into the film.
The actors... well, I’m smitten.
Unfortunately, because I haven’t seen any of their other movies, I can only appreciate them based on the roles they had in this one... Leila Hatami (playing Simin) was already awarded a Silver Bear (Berlin) for her role in A Separation. Making her debut in her father’s films (famous Iranian director, her mother being an actress), she isn’t receiving her first acting award, so the appreciation brought by her latest role is not by some sort of accident. I was completely charmed by her grace, firmness, discreet acting, and her compelling presence deeply felt throughout the entire movie.
Peyman Maadi (as Nader) is also a screenwriter (but not for this film), and his first role was in another movie, also awarded, of Asghar Farhadi (About Elly). I haven’t seen him in that, but as Nader he succeeds in keeping the character very close-by to a thin line between the honest father who’s been wronged and a man who knows more than he says and whose unknown intentions kinda creep you out. He, too, has a Silver Bear from Berlin for the role in “A Separation”.
Termeh is played by the director’s daughter, Sarina Farhadi, and there’s no trace of hesitation or fake in any of the scenes she’s a part of.
Sareh Bayat (playing Razieh) managed to save (in my eyes, at least) the character of the religious woman, gradually unraveling the resorts that make her come alive. Honestly, I was so close to dismissing Razieh as being plain dumb, and I’m sure I would’ve had much more to say if I’d heard the story from someone else (vs. my seeing the movie).
Well, I still have more - but on the “what do critics say about it” subject. Oh and... she also got a Silver Bear from Berlin for her performance.
What do critics say about “A Separation”?
We definitely have an Oscar winning movie... because Separation is unanimously appreciated on metacritic.com, with 95 points out of 100 (from 36 reviews) and a mark of 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 from 98 votes. On rottentomatoes.com we have a similar situation: 99% fresh out of 100 reviews, which means only one is rotten in there (ahem, ahem, David Nussair, Reel Film Reviews - “kitchen-sink drama”) for Separation. Out of 5883 users, 94% liked it. If this doesn’t also mean an unanimously given Oscar, then at least this movie will be able to stand next to others that never got any, but became way more famous (some even iconic) than the ones that did (Pulp Fiction. Need I say more?).
Koolhunt verdikt
Go see it. Definitely. Even just to see what were all those international juries gave away the awards for, or maybe to catch a subdued and censored glimpse of nowadays Iran. A Separation is worth seeing - for me it was the astounding and more recent example of “less is more”, where things that seem brought intrusively from a family’s house may in fact open your eyes to the bigger, uglier pieces of the puzzle they are all a part of.
Click to viewThe sources for the images are here.