Review of A Separation (2011) by Sreedhar K — 01 Dec 2012

If you are an ardent fan of the art form, and care for the presentation as much as the content, have no fears of being underwhelmed, as is the case often with the critically-accalimed, when you slip the disc of this award winner into the player. 'A Separation' was last year's Oscar winner for best foreign movie. It's an Iranian movie, from director/screen writer Asghar Farhadi, with sub-titles.

If something can be held has an example of how the ordinary can be turned into the extraordinary, just by sticking to the basics, this movie is it, in the genre of family dramas. As grim, complex, and antsy as the subject matter is, watching it turns out to be simply a joyful experience. The way it is made, with relentless close-ups of handheld camera, and by shunning the artificial background score that we are so used to (the only background you hear here is that of real life), it doesn't merely bring some vivid imagery in front of your eyes, but it also literally transports you into the lives of the characters you are watching. They look so real and so three dimensional. And, it is the sincerity of acting (just awesome by one and all - the lead players and the support cast) and the presentation that bring it all home here, not the technology.

To say that t is truly the 'Saving Private Ryan' and the "Avatar' of family dramas is one way to sum it up.

A better way to do so, is to say that it is in a class by itself.

Bravo!