Review of A Separation (2011) by Alec B — 22 Aug 2012

This is one of the best films of 2011, possibly the best film of 2011. It quite deservedly won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

This is the story of an Iranian couple, Nader and Simin, who have separated and are in the process of getting a divorce. When Simin moves out, Nader has to hire a someone to take care of his elderly father, who has Alzheimer's disease.

A tragedy ensues (I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't go into the details), which brings conflict between Nader and the woman he had hired to take care of his father. The conflict and its repercussion expands outwards, drawing in family members on both sides as well as their friends.

Grief, greed, guilt, lies, tragedy, inter- and intra-family conflict, revenge, justice, and mystery: all of these elements unfold and ensnare the characters, and we in the audience cannot help but be completely drawn into the story and into the lives of the characters.

Much of the film is shot with a hand-held camera, which gives it a very intimate, personal feel, and the actors are phenomenal.

This is a film that should not be missed!