A 'Separation' Is a Suspenseful and Intelligent Drama About Iranian Society

Every once in a while there comes a movie that is equally entertaining and moving.  That movie this year was was A Separation, written and directed by Asghar Farhadi.

The story is of a couple reaching the end of their journey but not from lack of love but dividing responsibility. Nader (Peyman Mooed) and Simin (Leila Hatami), the couple separating for the well being of their teenaged daughter, Termeh (Sarina Farhadi). The couple are finaly being granted a visa to leave Iran and help their daughter live outside the repression of the Islamic country. Nader has a sick father living with him who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and refuses to leave his father behind.  

There comes the separation. Simin files for divorce and moves into her parent’s home.

In their conflict arises yet another when Nader hires a housekeeper, Razieh to tend to his father while he’s at work. Razieh (Sareh Bayat) is young and from a poor family. She also has a hot-tempered husband, Hodjat (Shahab Hosseini), who is barried under a lot of debt. Her hopes are to get her husband into this job, as taking care of Nader’s father is a lot of work for a newly pregnant Razieh.

The plot thickens with when Razieh loses the baby by miscarriage and Nader is blamed because he had pushed her out of his house and fired her. The morals and judgements of each person are then brought forth and analyzed in court.  

A well written and directed and acted film, worthy of its 2012 Academy Award. A great depiction of the actual events that can happen in Iran. If you haven’t seen a foreign film this year, take a stroll to Regency Rancho Niguel 8 and check this one out.  It's playing now.  

I give this film 4.5 out of 5 Patches.