When Asghar Farhadi finally reveals his complex family drama The Past to American audiences next month, there's a good chance it will hit with the same impact as his award-winning film, A Separation. Debuting at Cannes before where it competed for the Palm d'Or but managed to take home a Jury prize, the film is Iran's entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar and is now starting to get a serious marketing push by Sony Pictures Classics.
The first trailer for American audiences has been released, and it makes a pretty good case for the film to be on your must-see list. Starring Berenice Bejo, Tahar Rahim, Ali Mosaffa, and a star-making turn by Pauline Burlet, the film centers on a troubled mother of two, seeking to get a divorce from her estranged Iranian husband so she can move on with her current lover. When he flies in to complete the divorce, he finds himself in the middle of a complicated mess of secrets, rekindled passions, and unsettled grievances. I absolutely loved it, noting in my review from the Virginia Film Festival that "there are enough complex, layered relationships to fill a handful of movies, and the delicate manner with which Farhadi juggles them is truly extraordinary."
In other words, be sure to check out The Past when it opens on December 20th.
