The Past
An Iranian man deserts his French wife and two children to return to his homeland. Meanwhile, his wife starts up a new relationship, a reality her husband confronts upon his wife's request for a divorce.
Director:
Asghar Farhadi
Cast:
Bérénice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa
Screenplay:
Asghar Farhadi, Massoumeh Lahidji
Screening Date:
Dec 07, 2013
Studio:
Memento Films
Running Time:
2 hr 10 min
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.1% | 16.4% | 28.3% | 10.9% | 4.3% |
“It could have been a bit shorter, but overall was well done. Acting was quite good!”
“Tres, tres Bien. A fascinating complicated story expertly told.”
“A SEPARATION was brilliant family angst, played out against duty and responsibility vs. dreams and aspirations. THE PAST is what might have happened to them if they made every wrong decision.”
“Boring, tedious screwed up and trite.”
“Brilliant story-telling and observation of contemporary society, be it French, Iranian or whoever. People are people.”
“What a profound effect upon the children that all the partner-hopping has. Much as we try to move on, we always drag with us the baggage of the past.”
“How to make a long story longer.”
“The French know about love, but this is love gone awry in the 21st century. If there is a socio-political message here it’s that there is none, that people are all the same.”
“What if! Psychologically complex, compelling exploration of what people do not care to admit to themselves. Explores who tells what to whom. Explores communication and lack of relationships. The story unfolds in a masterly way. These children will need a lot of therapy. Great acting!”
“Final scene in hospital room, bone-chilling and brilliant. Douglas Sirk would be proud.”
“Remarkable story-telling skills, worthy of great romance novels, and I mean that in a complimentary way.”
“Painful slice of life. What terrible things people do to each other and especially to their children. The past haunts us always. I guess that’s the point of this film.”
“Very adult movie.”
“Yes, rain, rain, and more rain. These people are leading stormy lives, I get it…”
(Spoiler alert) Is she really pregnant?
“Masterfully done. It made me feel guilty, but I do not know why. A lot to think about.”
“Very interesting film.”
"Berenice Bejot is an absolute jewel, a long way from THE ARTIST, and she doesn’t even play that appealing a character. That’s part of the film’s challenge (or flaw) is that there’s not a lot of characters to root for. Ahmed has deserted her (although he does help a lot) Berenice has made bad relationship choices, Samir has cheated on his wife, etc."
“I really liked it.”
“Very interesting, but depressing.”
(Spoiler alert) "Interesting that Samir and his wife get the last scene, and Berenice is nowhere to be found and Ahmed has gone away. The French - or should I say Iranians – don’t make movies like Hollywood.”
“Liked the film, too many situations.”
“Not an easy film to watch, but a valuable and thought provoking one. It will stay with me.”
“Follow the advice of the café owner. Cut. At least 20 minutes.”
”Out, out damn spot!”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
"The Past" just won the best foreign language film! Read more about it here:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/12/08/338801/the-past-nabs-2013-nbr-aw...
Why are Iranian films often in French? Read more about the cross between Iranian and French cinema:
http://fis-iran.org/en/irannameh/volxiv/iranian-cinema-france
Iran has nominated "The Past" as their pick for the upcoming Oscars!
Will Farhadi win a second time?
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/sep/30/oscar-iran-the-past-official...
