Iran’s entry for Best Foreign Language Oscar and winner of Berlin’s Golden Bear, A Separation is a complex family drama that succeeds on many levels. From the first frame, filmmaker Asghar Farhadi clues us into to his master plan; he wants the audience to play judge and jury. A married couple appears before us, and the woman, Simin, pleads her case; either her husband, Nadar, agrees to leave Iran with her and her daughter, or she wants a divorce. Unhappy with the verdict, Simin departs, leaving her daughter and Nadar to take care of his ailing father. The twists that follow spiral seamlessly, taking the viewer on an intellectually gripping journey. And beyond his exquisite depiction of a family in crisis, Farhadi paints an understated portrait of contemporary Iranian society.

A Separation is a Sony Picture Classics release.

(Originally appeared on Flavorpill.com in January 2012)