A Separation (2011)

When I finally got around to seeing the Iranian film A Separation last Friday, I knew two things. The first was that it was widely-praised as one of the best movies of 2011, and in the eyes of some critics one of the best movies in quite some time. The second was that it was about a divorce and its harsh consequences, though I probably could have figured that out from the title alone. Expectations were high going into this movie, which I’ll admit is not necessarily an ideal way to approach anything. I like to think that I erase all outside information once the lights go down, but I’m only human. Yet even with these high hopes, I was entirely unprepared for this film’s sneaky and undeniable brilliance. This is as meticulously crafted a film as you’ll ever see; a story that has a million balls in the air at all times and is always entirely in control of where they will end up. The screenplay spends much of its time slowly setting up the dominoes, and then we watch them fall in tragically slow motion.

The separation of the title is the divorce of Nader (Peyman Moadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami), who are splitting because she wants to leave the country and he wants to stay and care for his father (Ali-Asghar Shahbazi), who has Alzheimer’s. Meanwhile, their daughter Termeh (Sarina Farhadi) is stuck awkwardly in the middle. Since Simin has left the home, Nader must hire a housekeeper (Sareh Bayat), and from there everything begins to unravel into a nightmare. To say a sentence more would take away from the experience, and that is something I want to avoid.

As a piece of screenwriting, there is absolutely nothing wrong with A Separation. It feels like one long sneak attack on the viewer, as an ostensibly simple family drama becomes something far more resonant without ever breaking a sweat. The film was written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, whose assurance in all areas of filmmaking is frightening. This is a film not just about life in Iran—though that is prominently on display here—but it also tackles universal issues such as faith, family, and heck, pretty much everything else you can think of. Yet Farhadi never resorts to monologues or long speeches about any of these themes. As is the case with all great movies, the messages and ideas simply seep into your mind without you even knowing it. The immediate aftermath of my screening of A Separation was one of those wonderfully rare experiences when the lights went up and I knew that the movie I just saw worked a number on me. It feels like a simple movie, but its inner workings couldn’t be more complex.

Farhadi’s script walks an incredible tightrope. Just one misstep and the entirety of the film could have felt like a fraud; a series of writerly tricks pulled on the audience without ever being earned. Instead, Farhadi shows incredible command of his story, his actors, his sets, his props, his everything. While the events in every movie ever made are controlled by a writer, Farhadi never abuses his power in A Separation. He is careful to make every moment feel utterly real and earned, and when a key reveal or twist comes it does not feel cheap. Instead, you are blown over in the best possible way.

The characters also feel like they were pulled right off the street. One of the most impressive things a movie can do is portray a setting and make the audience feel like they are actually there. Farhadi is Iranian, obviously, but that doesn’t mean he’s predisposed to paint an accurate picture of Iran. (Have you seen how American films portray America?) Everything here feels lived-in. You can feel the history in Nader’s home, and the performances are heartbreaking across the board. If I ever see any of these actors in anything else, I will not be able to accept them in that new role. They belong forever in the fully-realized universe of A Separation.

One of the most startling aspects of A Separation is the way the characters are drawn by Farhadi and his actors. There could easily be clear-cut heroes and villains—and some may interpret it that way—but Farhadi has no interest in such a black-and-white portrayal of human behavior. Everyone in this film is in a constant struggle between choosing what is best for them, what is best for their family, and what is best for everyone involved. None of those is wholly the right decision, and the characters spend every scene entirely perplexed by the dilemmas facing them. This is not just a human drama but a human disaster movie; it is about how one avoidable decision set into motion a chain of events that would forever change the lives of two families. A Separation drifts from the home to the courtroom to the streets of Tehran, and in every frame you can feel the fragility of the lives that these characters have created for themselves. It’s scary to think we all could be seconds away from an event that will cause irreparable damage not just to us but to everyone we care about. A Separation painstakingly chronicles one such example, and not until it’s over can the full extent of the damage be assessed.

Grade: A

P.S.- Since I did not see this movie in time for my “Best of 2011” post, it is (of course) not on the list. Let me say here that A Separation would certainly be in the top three, and it very easily could be number one. I won’t make such an arbitrary decision right now. Just know that, indeed, A Separation is one of the best movies of last year.