A Separation
written and directed by Asghar Farhadi
playing in Chicago area at Music Box Theatre and Century Evanston
@@@@1/2
In awarding A Separation a 1/2@ under the Seth Saith maximum, it seems I liked the Iranian drama a good bit less than the norm.
Somewhat atypically, it was given a 4-star top rating by both Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune and Roger Ebert of the Sun-Times, who also named it his favorite film of 2011.
And of the nearly 33,000 people who have rated the movie on IMDB's 10-point scale, a whopping 63% have given it the top score.
Even among the group of movie buffs I saw it with, it seemed I was a tad less vociferous about Asghar Farhadi's film being truly extraordinary.
Yet my feeling apologetic about bestowing A Separation "only" @@@@1/2 (out of 5) should suggest how strongly I recommend that you make a point of seeing this wonderful film. For even if it doesn't quite meet your expectations--and perhaps mine were over-inflated--at worst, this is a movie almost anyone should find extremely worthwhile and well-made. If nothing else, I promise that--similar in many ways to a great play--A Separation will provide you with plenty to discuss and debate afterward.
On its surface, the movie is a family drama, about a woman who wants to leave Iran with her husband and 12-year-old daughter, but with visa in hand is held back by her husband's wish to continue caring for his father, who has Alzheimer's. Per the title, they separate, but she moves in with her mother nearby until an amenable plan can be reached.
The movie then takes numerous turns that I didn't expect and won't reveal here, but winds up offering--along with much else, including a multi-faceted exploration of truth, deceit and consequences--the palpable suspense of a great legal thriller.
Taking it at face value, I thought I noted some structural/logical flaws and at least one instance of confusing editing. And the motivations of some characters weren't entirely clear, but I believe that was part of Farhadi's point. Far more than most Hollywood movies ever do, A Separation deals with its characters as people really are, including being at times, exasperatingly inconsistent. The acting, led by Peyman Moadi, Leila Hatami, Sareh Bayat, Shaheb Hosseini and Sarina Farhadi (the director's daughter), is remarkably realistic and impactful throughout.
The movie also provides quite a fascinating glimpse into Iran, in ways that exhibit vast cultural differences from the U.S., but also rather striking human commonalities. It's a film I definitely look forward to revisiting at some point, and I wouldn't be shocked if I find reason to add that 1/2@.
But at this point, I find no reason--aversion to subtitles, wariness about a film from Iran, etc.--for anyone who likes intelligent drama to miss discovering this terrific movie. In fact, expecting a near sellout and the possibility of not getting in, I was rather disappointed only about 60 people or so made it to the Music Box for the 9:30pm Saturday showing on A Separation's first weekend in Chicago. With a rare film like this, those who make the effort can only be better for it.
