A Separation
Jodaeiye Nader az Simin

The Iranian drama, A Separation, is the kind of movie that Hollywood rarely makes anymore: a thoroughly engrossing and layered narrative that covers a wide range of issues and themes while managing to be both entertaining and thought-provoking. This is the best film yet from Asghar Farhadi (About Elly, Fireworks Wednesday, The Beautiful City) and, like all his films, A Separation gives Western audiences an insider’s perspective on life in Iran; a major player in our foreign policy about which most of us know very little. It is not difficult to relate to any of the action in A Separation; most Americans wrestle with issues similar to the ones that these characters face, and it's intriguing to imagine what you might do, given similar circumstances and choices.

I assumed from the title and poster that it was a story about a married couple splitting up, but it deals with far more variations on “separation” than just that one, including gender, age, religion, culture, and class. The people in this movie look to the state, the church and each other for answers to their problems, but they can't find any that are even remotely satisfactory. This is a fascinating way to view not only Iranian society, but all modern civilizations.

A Separation is like a Ken Loach kitchen-sink drama plotted and paced like an Alfred Hitchcock suspense thriller.  Just when you think you know what it’s about, you realize there is much more to the story than you thought. It is a masterful movie about coexistence and moral contradictions where every perspective is presented in an understandable and sympathetic way. This is the best kind of drama, with strong, clearly defined characters facing situations where there is no correct choice.  A Separation deservedly won the Best Foreign Film Oscar, and I think it is the hands-down best picture of 2011 and the best film so far of this young decade.