The Oscar nominated film, “A Separation,” moves beyond one couple’s crumbling marriage to reveal growing rifts between generations, ideologies, religious beliefs, genders and classes in modern-day Iran. The film starts with a couple, Simin (Leila Hatami) and her husband, Nader (Peyman Maadi) who sit uneasily side by side, with Simin explaining to a judge why she wants a divorce. Simin wants to leave Tehran with their preteen daughter for a life of greater opportunity in the West. Nader insists on remaining because he has a senile father to take care of. Each has a clear, logical position and each is angry with the other for not understanding. After the courthouse opening, writer/director Asghar Farhadi’s excellent film follows Simin and Nader through a series of misunderstandings, leading to totally unexpected consequences.
As the story progresses, we meet new characters, who have their own agendas. Since Nader can’t stay home to tend his father and since Simin has moved out, Nader hastily hires a fundamentalist Muslim woman Razieh (Sareh Bayat), as a combination housekeeper/caregiver. To the secular Nader, the job is clear, but for Razieh, there are many theological issues, such as looking after a man, one she doesn’t know, who can’t use the toilet or bathe himself. While Razieh is devout and well meaning, she’s not above keeping secrets from her employer and her husband, a hot-tempered religious hardliner. Nader soon finds Razieh negligent, which leads to a squabble over payment, which leads to disastrous collateral damage, and courtroom proceedings far more serious than divorce. “A Separation” is a story where no one is without guilt and will provide fodder for conversations long after you’ve left the theater. It is certainly deserves to win the Best Foreign Language Academy Award. Subtitles. 2/9/12
1 comment:
Could be an Oscar winner here. go see it!
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