Review of A Separation (2011) by Jonathan D — 25 Aug 2012

The opening scene is nothing more than a man and a woman in their chairs, speaking to the camera, whom we realize is a divorce judge - and yet we immediately feel the ability of the filmmaker to turn small moments into big drama.

The couple separates and the film continues in a dry neo-realist style, charting the ordinary moments in the lives of ordinary people as the husband now tries to hire and manage a caretaker to help his elderly father. Yet every insignificant detail turns out to be consequential. What seems like a slice of life proves to be a complex and caustic plot. Accusations mount on each other. Lies bubble up. Everyone works hard to unwittingly destroy themselves.

We started watching this too late, and Tina said she'd probably stick around for 20 minutes and go to bed. She couldn't pull herself away.