MOVIE OF THE WEEK: A Separation

Believe the hype. "A Separation" is absolutely brilliant. I would even call it a masterpiece. The remarkable screenplay really cuts deep, with an intriguing plot and well-written characters. As the events unfolded, I just couldn’t take my eyes away from the screen. I must single out the writer/director Asghar Farhadi for not allowing the film to be judgmental about any of the characters. In fact, I empathized with every one of them. As the drama escalates, it’s really impossible to choose sides. Kudos to the greatly humanizing work of the cast, where even the smallest roles are an important piece to the puzzle. For the 2011 film year, you’re not gonna see a better written film than this. It makes everything else look amateurish in comparison. If you get the opportunity to watch this film, take it!