• At any time of the day, a good movie with popcorn or beer is a welcome pleasure.

    A Separation (2011): Movie Review



    Everyone seeks justice. But when justice is viewed by different eyes, conflict occurs. With this conflict come pain, fears, and doubts. In this 2011 Iranian drama film, A Separation takes us into the lives of an Iranian middle-class couple and the complications that their separation and an impending case bring in.

    The movie is a picture of several lives. In one hand, we have Nader and Simin, a couple who have been married for 14 years and living in Tehran, Iran. They have an 11-year-old daughter named Termeh. Simin wants to leave the country with her family because she does not want their daughter to grow up in the prevailing conditions. However, Nader does not share this desire as he wishes to stay and take care of his elderly father who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. When Nader decides to stay in Iran, Simin files for divorce. Yet, her application is rejected by the judge and the family continues to live with the diseased old man.



    On the other hand, we have Razieh, a young, deeply religious woman from a poor district. She has a hot-headed husband who is a strict Muslim. When Nader opens hiring a caregiver for her father, Razieh applies for the job without telling her husband. The job becomes overwhelming for Razieh, for in a culture where there is clear demarcation between a man and a woman, she finds it uneasy to clean a man not her husband. She sees the work very hard, especially when she learns she is pregnant.

    Soon, a pivotal event shakes this edgy harmony established by these people. One day, upon returning to their house, Nader and Termeh is stunned to see their elder lying unconsciously on the bedroom floor, with one arm tied to the bed. Razieh is nowhere to be found. When she gets back, Nader accuses her of negligence and of stealing money from his room. Razieh protests her innocence and after a heated confrontation, Nader accidentally shoves Razieh and she falls in the stairway on the way out of the building. She suffers a miscarriage. And with this, a long complex case ensues….

    To protect her father, Termeh comes up with a false statement…. To protect her daughter, Simin secretly arranges a financial deal with Razieh and her husband Hodjat…. As Razieh has been earlier hit by a car, Nader begins to doubt whether his action caused the miscarriage and becomes more resolute with his ideals.…  In fear of Hodjat, Razieh begins to mistrust herself and her belief…. And with this complication, will this be a better timing for a divorce case?


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