Uma Separação

Uma peça de conversa magistralmente escrita e dirigida. Um dominó de acontecimentos imprevisíveis que transformam situações aparentemente banais da vida quotidiana num drama que pode destruir as vidas das famílias. Suspenso, sufocante, emocionalmente devastador. O nível de realização dos melhores dramas de Woody Allen ou Mike Nichols, num cenário mais exótico do Irão e da sua cultura. O que é fascinante aqui é ver pessoas, cujas almas e mentes estão trancadas pelas leis de uma fé tão radical, sofrer no final pelos mesmos problemas pessoais e familiares que qualquer outra pessoa em qualquer parte do mundo. E a conclusão é K.O. (06/04/2012)

A fantastic screenplay that unfolds from the marital conflict of longtime partners to reveal, in a fascinating way, a rich drama about guilt, punishment and lies. Precisely filmed, edited at a cutting pace, and acted economically with a sense of miniature drawing. A textbook family drama that has no problem with phrases and literalism. A film full of vivid characters, stories and pulsating questions on which several moral positions can be taken. A free film about simple things from a country that is not free, which Czech filmmakers have been trying to make in vain for years. (08/07/2011)

Cool. Cool, cool, cool. It’s not bad sometimes to look at how things work in countries with different mentalities. A fantastic family-court drama that, among other things, captivates with how not a single one of the protagonists is morally spotless. I’ve no idea whether the Iranian legal system works exactly like this (in fact, my Central European prejudices led me to believe that it’s much worse), but it doesn’t matter. An entertaining and thrilling film and a great candidate for the Oscar in the foreign language category. (16/12/2011)

It’s sad when, with so many adults around, the only person with sense is a kid. It is lucky that it’s in such a good movie. This movie is attractive and “rewarding for the Western viewer" is not just thanks to the reaction of a diametrically different culture to the breakup of a relationship, but mainly thanks to how good, surprising, engrossing and emotion provoking at every moment (and in every respect) it is throughout. Simply despite all the unhappy story, this movie enthralls; with its story, twists, authenticity, actors, details, hints, everything that is not said... Simply everything. (27/12/2011)

I admit that I am not particularly enthusiastic about the wave of Iranian films that flooded world festivals a few years ago and made many cinephiles talk about Iranian cinema with boundless admiration, so I shrugged my shoulders at several acclaimed Iranian films. Therefore, I approached the Oscar-winning film A Separation with cautious skepticism. Fortunately, it was unnecessary. A Separation is an unpretentious psychological drama that is far from the shallow production of the American mainstream. It avoids straightforward activism but subtly and incredibly effectively analyzes the system through one disintegrating family. In a European context, this film could be likened to significant films of the Polish era of moral unrest. Poverty, religious radicalism, and the women's question, not on a mass scale but under the guise of institutions, conservative traditions, and general hypocrisy, constantly simmering frustration from the authoritarian religious regime and cultural isolation (the film's protagonist is planning to emigrate and is willing to sacrifice her marriage and even risk separation from her daughter because of it). A small film with a great impact that can hit a sensitive spot with surgical precision and evoke strong emotions. Overall impression: 95%. (06/12/2012)