Foreign Film Spotlight: JODAEIYE NADER AZ SIMIN (A SEPARATION)

Some of the best films ever made are ones that the general audience has never seen, and this is because they were made outside the United States. Welcome to another installment of FOREIGN FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we showcase some of the best in foreign cinema to help broaden your horizon. This week we take a look at the incredible 2011 Iranian Oscar winning film, JODAEIYE NADER AZ SIMIN (A SEPARATION). 

A Separation is a foreign film written and directed by Asghar Farhadi. It stars Peyman Moaadi as Nader, Leila Hatami as Simin, and Sareh Bayet as Razieh. The film is about a married couple who are trying to make a difficult decision to either improve the life of their child by moving to another country or looking after a parent who has Alzheimer’s.

This film is one that all cinema fans should watch. It really shows how different yet brilliant foreign films can be. The dramatic elements in this film are excellently told, and I feel that the brilliant acting only helps to supports each of these moments.

It is a masterclass at how to blend natural acting and dialog yet being able to still tell a dramatic story. Overall each actor did an incredible job. I found both actors who played the parents to be exceptional (Peyman and Leila). They were both able to make these characters feel like real people.

What I personally loved the most was the writing in this film. The dialog was note perfect, the story itself has a great flow and pace. The fact that the director also wrote the film really helped as he was able to fully realize his own vision. That is far different than when a director receives a script. You can tell that the director made each decision carefully, from the cinematography to the music. The cinematography being very quiet and subtle yet very beautiful and enriching the world with every look. While the music keeps the spotlight on the drama it adds to the depth of the film, making us more connected to the characters and their problems.

Overall, A Separation is an incredible film, one that was also the first non-English film to get an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay in five years. Even though it didn’t win, it was truly deserving of that nomination. I think what this film really does is puts Asghar Farhadi on the map for cinema fans to look out for. He really made something incredibly special here and I think this film deserves every positive review it received.  I am glad I watched this film so now I am able to know the quality of filmmaking Farhadi is able to achieve. The Salesman is the next film I am going to watch of his and I am really excited to be able to experience that.  

Khizer's Score: 9.5/10

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