A Separation

A Separation is a cinematic accomplishment, offering a family drama that is detailed and very specific, but has broader implications about Iranian society and about human behavior in general. Its cultural specificity doesn't detract from its universality. As the film opens, Simin (Leila Hatami) is seeking a divorce from her husband, Nader (Peyman Maadi), because they've recently received visas, and she wants to leave Iran, mainly for the benefit of their 11-year-old daughter, Termeh (Sarina Farhadi, the director's daughter). Nader has to take care of his father, who has Alzheimer's, and refuses to leave. They separate, and Nader hires the devoutly religious Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to take care of his father during the day. Razieh doesn't tell her short-tempered husband, Hodjat (Shahab Hosseini), that she's taken the job. An altercation between Nader and Razieh leads to the gradual unraveling of both families as they wind their way through the court system. As with his previous film, the stunning About Elly, writer-director Asghar Farhadi tells a story that might seem mundane and simple, but he realistically piles on the complications and increases the emotional stakes until the audience is hanging on every word. The characters, developed in close collaboration with the actors, are wonderfully complex and human, and the consequences of their seemingly petty deceptions and rationalizations build to genuine tragedy.