The Past (Asghar Farhadi - director of A Separation)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLKpTRilMFc

The Past is another expertly crafted domestic melodrama from the great Asghar Farhadi, who I have in the past listed as perhaps my favourite contemporary filmmaker. This director is simply working on a completely different level to pretty much every other filmmaker these days - there's something so beautifully naturalistic, compassionate and unpretentious about his storytelling. He strips away the gloss to get to the powerful emotions at the centre of his dramas, and in the process explores his characters in a deeply intelligent and compelling way.

The story is deceptively simple - Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) travels to France to finalise his divorce with soon-to-be-ex wife Marie (Bérénice Bejo). However, the scope of the film expands to include Marie's two daughters, her husband-to-be Samir (Tahar Rahim) and his son. The startling revelations and personal conflicts flow thick and fast here, emerging naturally as the characters interact with each other. Most of said revelations pack a truly devastating punch, and I was completely drawn into this family's strife.

I can see some viewers suggesting it's too long and presents a pretty grueling number of revelations within revelations, but to me it was all absolutely necessary for Farhadi to take his characters and themes to where they need to go. It's the rare sort of melodrama that earns its explosive emotional outbursts. The title couldn't be more appropriate - it's a film about regrets, secrets, misunderstandings, mistakes and commitments, and getting consumed by what might or might not have happened once upon a time. Ultimately, it's about the challenges facing those who want to look forward and let go, with a final long take of Samir and his comatose wife being as articulate and heartbreaking as that unforgettable final shot from A Separation. The Past is intense and captivating viewing seeing these characters address their demons and release their pent up emotions, and it's flawlessly acted. Farhadi's films are, above all, deeply and immensely human, and this is a further example of his beautiful, peerless craftsmanship and empathetic storytelling.