Title: A Separation Director: Asghar Farhadi Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Studio: Sony Pictures Classics Genre(s): Drama Rated:       (For mature thematic material)

CONSUMER ADVICE

Parents, there is some minor foul language and minor violence. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

“A Separation” is a masterpiece of film making. One that opens by placing us right into someone else's lives in a way where we feel we are on their journey with them. This is the case as we open the film with a couple in a court trying to get a divorce. They both plead their cases for separation and staying together when a judge makes his final determination. We exit the courthouse with them and will stay with them for the next several days, where seemingly minor events take turns for the worst until there is nothing but a complicated problem with no easy solution in sight. I have just explained the opening of this film because it is the easiest to describe.

To get into much greater detail would be difficult though without giving a blow-by-blow account of the story. This is a movie that deals with murder, lies, and desperation for voices to be heard. How the screenplay navigates these points though is so subtle that when everything hits the fan, we feel like we have been punched in the gut. I found myself taking one person's side early in the film, only to find myself changing sides as I heard more information, until I got to the point where I wasn't sure if I was even supposed to be rooting for anyone anymore. I guess when you get down to it, sometimes an unpleasant situation is just that, and who's right and who's wrong is irrelevant.

What is relevant though is that “A Separation” features real people dealing with very real problems. No, this is not a documentary. This film isn't even from America. But the themes are universal and we feel for these people and their plights. Tensions rise and hopes diminish, and we experience those feelings with utmost brutality. “A Separation” is at once a family drama, at once a thriller, and at once a legal drama. At times it is all three. Most of the time I was too mesmorized by what I was viewing to really care. After the movie was over I wanted to go to every person who was walking the street and ask them if they had seen this. If they hadn't, I was ready to ask them why they hadn't.

This is one of those rare masterpieces where smart screenwriting, brilliant direction, and great acting all come together to create something special. While the film is Iranian in its origin, the story is universal and relatable to anyone regardless of country of origin. “A Separation” is currently playing in limited release, but I have a funny feeling word-of-mouth will make this an unexpected hit and you'll be able to find it in a local theater near you in the not too distant future.