A Separation

Name: A Separation
Genre: Drama
Released: December 30, 2011
Duration: 123 min
Rating: 95
Cast: Leila Hatami, Peyman Moaadi, Sareh Bayat

2011

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 41 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 790 Ratings

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8.6

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8.6	User Score Universal acclaim based on 790 Ratings

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A Separation

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Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: December 30, 2011 | PG-13

Starring: Leila Hatami, Peyman Moaadi, Sareh Bayat

Summary: Set in contemporary Iran, A Separation is a compelling drama about the dissolution of a marriage. Simin wants to leave Iran with her husband Nader and daughter Termeh. Simin sues for divorce when Nader refuses to leave behind his Alzheimer-suffering father. Her request having failed, Simin returns to her parents' home, but Termeh decides toSet in contemporary Iran, A Separation is a compelling drama about the dissolution of a marriage. Simin wants to leave Iran with her husband Nader and daughter Termeh. Simin sues for divorce when Nader refuses to leave behind his Alzheimer-suffering father. Her request having failed, Simin returns to her parents' home, but Termeh decides to stay with Nader. When Nader hires a young woman to assist with his father in his wife's absence, he hopes that his life will return to a normal state. However, when he discovers that the new maid has been lying to him, he realizes that there is more on the line than just his marriage. [Sony Pictures Classic]

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Director: Asghar Farhadi

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 123 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Steve Persall

Feb 29, 2012

It's a mystery wrapped inside an enigmatic nation, flawlessly acted and difficult to predict. I'm always impressed when a movie informs about a foreign culture while it entertains, and this one is powerful art in that regard. Read full review

100

Dana Stevens

Jan 4, 2012

Asghar Farhadi's A Separation serves as a quiet reminder of how good it's possible for movies to be. Read full review

100

Joshua Rothkopf

Dec 20, 2011

The drama it might remind you most of, oddly enough, is "Six Degrees of Separation," also about the snowballing connections between unlikely people. And as in that urban clash, the bedrock of it all is social responsibility, ever crumbling and rebuilding. A total triumph. Read full review

100

J.R. Jones

Jan 26, 2012

The movie is hugely compelling on a moral and emotional level - I was completely hooked - yet it also revealed to me in numerous small and concrete ways what it's like to live in a contemporary theocracy. Read full review

Anthony Lane

Jan 3, 2012

The writer and director, Asghar Farhadi, has thus created the perfect antithesis of a crunching disaster flick, such as "2012," which was all boom and no ripple. Read full review

Rick Groen

Jan 19, 2012

Much like Robert Altman during his forays into the genre, writer/director Asghar Farhadi isn't really interested in the answers. Instead, he keeps expanding the questions, until that singular title comes to seem a misnomer. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Dec 30, 2011

In the compelling but slow-moving Iranian film A Separation, a downbeat family drama of no particular distinction gradually turns into a mystery that raises painful moral questions. There may be several guilty parties. Read full review

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User Reviews

Tomas

Dec 31, 2011

This is the film of the year. Its concerns are universal. The drifting apart of a married couple and their daughter, as tensions build up and small lies spin out of control. Everyone has good reasons for what they do and their own truth which looks like lies and distortions to others. ThisThis is the film of the year. Its concerns are universal. The drifting apart of a married couple and their daughter, as tensions build up and small lies spin out of control. Everyone has good reasons for what they do and their own truth which looks like lies and distortions to others. This does not add up to a harmonious life. That it all this place in contemporary Iran with its strictures and deprivations only adds to the drama as social classes and degrees of religious observance collide and clash. The characters are flawlessly acted and their imperfections completely authentic. The camera work is brilliant with frequent closeups of actors who seem completely real. There is no preaching or taking sides, the film is humanistic in its sympathy for all the characters even when they transgress. This is movie-making at its best, reminiscent of the films that came from central and eastern Europe during the communist era and its immediate aftermath.… Expand

46 of 48 users found this helpful462

snailmovies

Jan 4, 2012

The fantastic thing about this film is the compassion it shows for all of its characters. At every stage you understand exactly why everyone acts in the way they do, yet by half way through they've all found themselves in a terrible mess of their own making. As an empathetic viewer you'reThe fantastic thing about this film is the compassion it shows for all of its characters. At every stage you understand exactly why everyone acts in the way they do, yet by half way through they've all found themselves in a terrible mess of their own making. As an empathetic viewer you're therefore challenged to ask - where did it all go wrong? How should we conduct ourselves in these situations? Great, adult film making.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

asthobaskoro

May 14, 2012

Let's face reality and five star rating I just gave for this movie. A Separation have intricate structure in screenplay, complex and brilliant. A Separation captures the messiness of dissolving relationship with intensity and powerful performance. Reminds me of masterpiece, have similarLet's face reality and five star rating I just gave for this movie. A Separation have intricate structure in screenplay, complex and brilliant. A Separation captures the messiness of dissolving relationship with intensity and powerful performance. Reminds me of masterpiece, have similar opening scene, The Social Network.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

coldenscence

Jan 12, 2012

It's one of those rare movies that every single act and dialogues are important. You won't found anything useless and if you do, be sure that you've missed something off the story. So you'll need absolutely every bit of concentration to see this.

There's no judgment whatsoever during theIt's one of those rare movies that every single act and dialogues are important. You won't found anything useless and if you do, be sure that you've missed something off the story. So you'll need absolutely every bit of concentration to see this.

There's no judgment whatsoever during the whole movie and you can sympathize with every character. The story evolves like a piece of puzzle or a domino and the tiniest actions bring severe consequences.

But what makes A Separation more than just a movie is how it's also a rummage of Today's Iran transition phase. It's a story about class-difference and how it can affect one's viewpoint toward another... If you're a fan of Michael Haneke (and specially Cache and The White Ribbon) you'll probably gonna love this movie more than anybody else...

nevertheless, It's like a layered wedding cake which everyone can enjoy depending on his/her viewpoint on life or connection with cinema.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

elgunsariyev

May 12, 2023

It thinks, Asghar Farhadi is the one of best director. All of his movies amazing especially a seperation

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MarcDoyle

Dec 31, 2011

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A truly outstanding movie that ratchets up the tension from jump. The acting is uniformly excellent - it presents such interesting windows into the lives of each character. The glimpse into the Iranian legal system is incredibly interesting. What I initially considered to be organized chaos actually started to make some sense by the end, as I loosed up on my western notions of how these disputes should be resolved. It puts an incredible amount of power into a single magistrate's hands, but it sure does cut down on the red tape! Though trusting the suspect in a murder case not to talk to a key witness as he summons her from the hallway of the courtroom seemed a bridge too far. Then again, the judge seemed to know how to deal with the possibility of corruption in that process. The notion of honor, as reflected in honesty - from citizen to society, and from father to daughter - transcends the legal process. At least in this case, among this group of peole. I would have liked to have known a bit more about the mother's motivation to leave the country, but it's not something that detracted from the film. This is an easy recommendation.… Expand

10 of 12 users found this helpful102

dierregi

Oct 19, 2014

Probably one of the most boring movies I ever watched in my life. Even the title is misleading, because only the first and last scene have something to do with the actual separation. We see Simin (the wife) and Nader (the husband) in front of a judge debating the reasons why they want toProbably one of the most boring movies I ever watched in my life. Even the title is misleading, because only the first and last scene have something to do with the actual separation. We see Simin (the wife) and Nader (the husband) in front of a judge debating the reasons why they want to split. Actually, Simin wants to split, Nader seems not to care one way or the other – which certainly does not give much motivation to continue a marriage.

I am sure such a story based in Europe or the US would not have won an Oscar, but it is not the first time – nor will be the last – that a movie wins a prize for obscure reasons that have nothing to do with cinematography.… Expand

1 of 55 users found this helpful154

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1	#1 Best Movie of 2011
56	#56 Most Discussed Movie of 2011
32	#32 Most Shared Movie of 2011