A Separation

The brilliant Iranian film, A Separation, opens with a couple requesting divorce from an unseen judge behind the camera's view. And thus, the viewer is immediately immersed in a narrative delivered by indirection, layers, covering and uncoverings (often literal coverings as this is Iran, where women's heads wear head scarves at the very least). Revelations and retractions inform every interaction.

The camera remains interior in focus, in that every scene is within an apartment, a car or a judicial chamber. The palette is subdued, even when dialogue becomes heated. There is an intimacy that respects the hidden aspects of lives and characters, a separation between the public and the private.

Rifts between classes, religious dedications, genders and means of communication are conveyed with subtle power. The layers of lies, half-truths and secrets, as well as mistaken intentions, add up to a beautiful vertigo that never confuses. The swirls reveal rather than obscure.

All the performances, especially those of the children, are quietly riveting. Nuance and suggestion hold a delicate balance. There are no "bad guys", just the complexities of human interaction, with all the potential separations of individuals seeking justice on large and small scales.

The final moments devastate and resonate long after this excellent film concludes.