Nader and Simin, a Separation [Jodaeiye Nader az Simin] (Farhadi, 2011)

[madali]

Nader and Simin, a Separation [Jodaeiye Nader az Simin] (Asghar Farhadi, 2011)

"Nader and Simin, A Separation" is the first Iranian film to win the Golden Bear at Berlin International Film Festival. Even more noteworthy, to me at least, is that it is the first Iranian film to have reached IMDB's top 250.

The film starts off with a separation between the title characters and a 11-year old girl stuck in the middle of their conflict. But the separation is just a catalyst for further events, not the lone focal point of the movie. Nader is emotional detached and stubborn, and refuses to ask his wife to stay, but he tirelessly and without complaint takes care of his aging, bed-ridden father who has Alzheimer. To have someone look after his father while he is at work, he hires Razieh, a pious, lower-class pregnant woman with a 4 year old child and an unemployed husband.

Everything is set and an event occurs between Nader and Razieh that forces the characters to court. But this court case drama is unlike a western setting. The characters are stuffed in a small room with a judge asking them questions, forms are signed, court members come in and out of the office, the building is overcrowded with accused and their family members. Bureaucracy hangs in the air and the judge asks questions to decide on a verdict. We work with the judge, trying to figure out the events that unfolded, not knowing which side to take, as all characters are good and flawed at the same time and the situation that has occurred seems merely an incident that went out of control.

In the two hours running time, the film is gripping and emotional moving, and one which never lets go, as the problems seem to pile on the characters, and forces them to clash with each other. It is a fantastic film, deserving of its award and external and internal recognitions (it’s a festival film darling that is also being converted to box office success) with excellent acting by all the characters. One of the best Iranian films in recent years.

4/5

[fizz]

A film that's receiving great word of mouth world wide. Did this get a proper release in Iran? Is that how you saw it?

[madali]

Yes, saw it in the cinemas. If I'm not mistaken, been in the cinemas for a while, and watched it in a full cinema. Had run out of tickets when I went to buy on a Friday 10pm showing, but got lucky as a person was selling his extra tickets.

[kaytee]

2011 has to belong to Iranian cinema, I have seem some real gems in this month coming from Iran. A Separation though not comparable to the absurd This is Not a Film or the restrained and poignant Goodbye, it manages to rise above these films and show the real life struggles of an Iranian family. Iran at the backdrop of a society where religion, family, gender bias, tradition and everything else is messed up and irreparable. The screenplay is so taut that it allows the film to play as a suspenseful thriller and not as a family drama whihc helps you stay glued till the end credits are over. The acting, direction, camera work, editing are all top notch and this should be an easy cake walk for the Best Foreign Film at the Oscars.

[madali]

I think this film moves a fine line between intelligent & mainstream. I feel like this is a n Iranian "festival' film that I'd feel comfortable to people that are not really festival film people.

[madali]

This movie seems to be getting more popular than I anticipated. I saw it on IMDB's front page under "Opening Soon". And if thats not enough, I click on it and it has a 8.6 user rating and 107 in top 250 list!

[X.]

In LA, A SEPARATION is hotter than Kate Beckinsale. It's already screened here at some fests, and opened to the public yesterday. The huge Persian community is flocking in droves.

Also, the expectation is that A SEPARATION will definitely get the Oscar nomination, and may even win. Its popularity will reach fever-pitch in that case.

Aren't you proud, Mad?

[madali]

I'm mainly proud because it is not a western-pleasing Iraniain film. Usually a lot of Iranian darling films seem to be tailor made for western critics, and while it gets lots of international praise, the Iranian movie-goer wouldn't have heard of it. But the Seperation seems to have really found its place first among Iranian critics and the public, then the rest of the world.

[animatedude]

i thought this movie had drones in it! 

no seriously i don't think i've ever seen any Iranian film before but now i do i'm just speechless...it's all i needed after watching the dreadful M.E.H 4...

[madali]

Tell me more.

[animatedude]

i can relate to the little girl so much she probably said to the judge "get me outta crazy Iran!".

[animatedude]

i hate to sound like a pretentious journalist but i just wanna say that IRAN-in just one year-has one won the media war by covering the Arab unrest FAIRLY especially the unrest in countries like Bahrain+A Separation winning the Oscar.

this is a great achievement and something the Arab world failed to do for many decades.now we only have 600 Arab channels for Music and Sports and the rest are channels that tell us the regime in Syria is killing ppl every sec but everything is just fine in Bahrain....pff.