At this point it looks like I probably won’t be attending next year’s Cannes Film Festival, which is a bummer, but if there’s a silver lining this year’s Festival was amazing and one of the best films I saw there and still one of the best of the year is Asghar Farhadi‘s The Past for which Berenice Bejo won Best Actress in Cannes and Farhadi was awarded the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury.
I gave the film an “A-” out of Cannes citing a “knockout screenplay” and wonderful performances. Here’s a snippet from my review:
If there was any doubt Farhadi could continue beyond his work in A Separation, he’s set that doubt aside. While I would say the film felt about 20 minutes longer than it actually was and the third act does begin to pile on, you simply can’t and don’t want to stop watching. The screenplay and performances are so utterly outstanding, and characters so complicated and intriguing, you don’t want to let them go.
The story follows Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa), and Iranian man who deserted his wife, Marie (Bejo), 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.
On top of Mosaffa and Bejo’s wonderful performances, Tahar Rahim (A Prophet) is great, but Pauline Burlet as Marie’s eldest daughter is the true gem of the piece. Read more about her and the film in my review, check out the trailer below and Farhadi’s screenplay for the movie is already available for download right here.
The Past hits limited theaters on December 20.
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