A Separation was definitely my favorite film of the entire festival and also instantly became one of my favorite films of all time. Michael Barker, from Sony Pictures Classic, introduced the film as "the perfect film" and it absolutely is. There is not a single scene that I would have removed and the actors were incredibly true to life. I had not seen it beforehand, but I will definitely be seeing it again.
Movie One Hundred Ninety Eight
After getting a chance to revisit A Separation on a small screen, the film was less of a surprise but had more of an impact. Let me explain. A Separation is a film that is crafted in such a way that the viewer does not know all the details of plot. Those details are carefully laid out as the film progresses and each seemingly minuscule detail forms a hugely moving setting for each of the characters in some way. While the details of the plot were not a surprise a second time through the film, seeing the way the film is crafted gives me a tremendous appreciation for A Separation. The editing and writing is done in such a precise fashion that it's nothing short of remarkable that the film works at all, let alone works as well as it does. Details are implied, but not explained until later but this is not confusing, it's revelatory.
If you haven't seen A Separation yet, I really can't say it enough - Go see this movie. It is a perfectly crafted film with the kinds of touching human relationships that Hollywood can't seem to produce anymore.
I just saw it yesterday and I absolutely loved it (my review will come up later today). Though it had a shoestring of a budget compared to most Hollywood movies, it had far more energy and heart any average blockbuster does these days. The story, the performances, and the direction were all fantastic and this could be one of the best films I’ve seen for a long time. Nice review.
Agreed – Look forward to reading your full review!
Next Ebertfest can you take me with you (just kidding)? That’s really cool. I haven’t seen this on yet. The praise has been overwelming, so I will look for it harder. Great post as always.
I really wish everyone could experience Ebertfest, it was pretty amazing. Definitely seek out A Separation, through any means necessary. I rarely say things are “must-see” but this is really a must-see.
A fantastic movie and one of my favorites from last year. Glad you got to watch it again and appreciated all its little nuances and technique.
I’m glad I did too, Fernando. It really makes you wonder where Hollywood is getting it all wrong…