IMDB 250 7.4 - A Separation (2011)

A Separation (2011)

A wife leaves her husband. The husband (Nader) hires someone to look after their child and his father (now suffering from Alzheimer's). When the woman is caught leaving the father unattended, a dispute erupts and she falls. As luck would have it, she was pregnant and says that the fall caused her to lose her unborn child. Now Nader is on trial for murder and she is accused of neglect.

This is the first Iranian movie to win an Oscar (Best Foreign Language Film) and could be the first Iranian movie I've ever seen (though I'm not sure). "A Separation" is thoroughly steeped in realism and gives an interesting insight into current-day life in Iran. Just about every character conflicts with just about every other character yet none of them are evil and there are no villains - only people. Everyone is trying to be good and live within the rules but the rules are inadequate to handle the full spectrum of human experience. There is no "villain". It's a fallen world in which truth is shades of gray and sometimes two wrongs make a right and sometimes two wrongs make three wrongs.

Like "The Bicycle Thief", this movie attempts to go big by going small - to comment on the general by focusing on the particular. It's subtle and stark without becoming dark and sullen. In the movie, as in everyday life, life is hard. People struggle and suffer and try to do their best to get by and do what's best for their families. And it's a difficult world. But I couldn't help but wonder (and many people will certainly disagree) whether it may be too real. If a movie looks just like real life, should one question why they're watching a movie and not just continuing to live real life? Can a movie be real enough to be ordinary?

This is a well made movie and a lot of people will love it but I can't.

6/10.
Total "Top 250" Movies Seen: 353.