Reviews

As with other Asghar Farhadi movies, this movies is an authentic window into real life. You can empathize with every character. Every line of dialog is realistic. The acting is superb. The twists of the story are not forced, rather fit organically with the story and how the characters think and receive information.

The subject matter makes it hard not to vilify the antagonist but Farhadi manages to do so by shedding light on their layered character and motives. Just as in real life, the people who do evil are not pure evil themselves.

The realistic portrayal of the movie also makes watching the movie a self-exploration journey. You can't help but put yourself into the shoes of the characters and think what you would have done differently.

Yesterday, I finally watched The Past. As an Asghar Farhadi fan I expected a 2 hour window to the reality of life and I wasn't disappointed. It sure isn't as good as A Separation, but it has many of the defining elements that made A Separation the hit it was.

The acting is great. Not only the adults, but also the child actors perform marvelously. The dialog is quite life-like as in other Farhadi movies and it makes the arguments easy to relate to. What lags behind A Separation in my opinion is the story. It is a mixture of mostly the same elements of tension but not as well crafted. Blame and Judgment drive the plot forward but some of the subplots are a bit loose to the main story. However, I suppose for many of these shortcomings A Separation is to be blamed for setting the bar so high. As in A Separation, conflicts of interest between parents and children are conveyed thoroughly and I admire the movie's engaging representation of these commonplace issues.

All in all, I think The Past is a movie worth watching and I suggest anyone interested in a 2 hour window to some ordinary people's life to watch it.