.......and that moment an actor has the face of someone you know!

What led me to watch 'A Separation' was in fact last year's Best Foreign Language Film Oscar Winner 'The Salesman' which had of course, made me take notice of the man behind the craft - Asghar Farhadi. While Iranian cinema as such remained relatively unknown to me, I was astonished by the way he had portrayed the events of 'The Salesman' carrying an element of suspense even while grounding the characters as realistically as possible.Boy, was I impressed with his 2011 directorial! It tells the story of a couple who are at loggerheads with each other over the decision of moving abroad for the betterment of their child or staying back to look after the husband's Alzheimer-diagnosed father. The plot line is as simple as it gets. An average viewer would even wonder what could be so path-breaking in a film with a synopsis such as this. Yet, the unfurling of incidents and how one thing leads to another is so well-cooked and meticulously crafted that every minute detail is bought into, including the reactions and expressions of each character with respect to various circumstances. Asghar does not let his screenplay flounder for one second. At 2h 3 min, the film is not what one would call a 'breezy watch' but it lets the viewer delve into the grayness associated with each human being. Asghar tries to say that even so-called rational human beings illustrate unexpected forms of behavior based on the context. The series of incidents that play out are simply repercussions of decisions taken by the lead characters and how the people in their life are forced to react due to the same. For example, the couple's only daughter (played by Asghar's own daughter Sarina) is coerced into deciding who she wants to stay with, on more than one occasion. It is (obviously!) not her call. She is only given the option of choosing between dad or mom. She knows she cannot have both, but still doesn't want to give up hope on them. The caregiver character (played by Sareh Bayat) who unintentionally infuses herself into the life of the couple is one that's written so carefully and depicted with an intensity that can match no other. She has her own reasons for the way she's acting, similar to the rest of the characters around her. But not for one moment does the cast go over-the-top. Peymaan Moaadi and Leila Hatami (who play the couple) are never observed to be "acting" at all..they're simply living the life of their characters and leaving their imprints behind. Even the sick dad character who barely speaks has left such a big impact with his presence. Kimia Hosseini who plays the caregiver's little daughter is spectacular with her expressions. Shahab Hosseini plays the distressed, unemployed husband of the caregiver to perfection. I can proudly say that there are countless number of stand-out scenes that are bound to stay with the viewer long after one has finished watching 'A Separation'. A few ones that immediately come to mind include the argument between Nader(the husband) and Razieh(the caregiver), the exchange between Nader and his daughter at the judge's office, the climax sequence where the caregiver's husband just implodes and storms out of the house, the powerful opening and closing scenes..the list is pretty huge.Even the message is not clear-cut. It is left for the viewer to formulate based on their own standpoint. Each time a (twisty) revelation is made, the viewer (along with the characters) goes into shell-shock. This indeed says a lot about the film and the impact that it leaves on its viewers. The theme is a depressing one, but the treatment is not. It does not attempt to employ the grim nature of the proceedings to affect the viewer into believing that a character is unabashedly right or wrong. They could be both right and wrong, depending on how you look at things. A masterpiece by all means, this film is highly recommended for all those who'd want to enjoy minimalist cinema at its purest. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing his 2006 venture 'Fireworks Wednesday'. (my viewing timeline is moving backwards but the quality seems to be going forward!)

It's A Must Watch Movie For Every Iranian Person... I Watched This Movie 3 Times... And Every Time I Watched It, I Never Tired of Watching... Because of The of Fascinating Story of Writing... And I Suggest To Iranian Persons To Watch This Movie At Least 1 Time... The Playing of Peyman Moadi And Leila Hatami is Perfect...And Is Also Attractive...

This movie is definitely worth watching. The plot twists should be considered the most successful because they keep the audience watching until the end. In addition, the director clearly put the same effort for every twist, making it as unexpected as possible for the audience. Not only does the movie carefully portray endless conflicts among family members, but the movie also delivers a simple message to parents: everything they do will affect their child one way or another, which they have to consider carefully before any action. Lastly, this movie shows the audience a view on Iran's culture and religion. It is phenomenal how characters in the movie respect their gods; they are really serious when it is the matter of sins and swearing under the gods.