This won Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars a few years ago and kicked off a resurgence in Iranian film. Too bad it's so deadly boring.A married couple file for divorce but cannot agree on custody of their daughter. The wife, Simin (Leila Hatami), has secured visas to get them out of Iran but the husband, Nader (Peyman Moaadi), will not leave his elderly father, suffering from advanced Alzheimer's, behind. After Simin moves out, Nader hires Razieh (Sareh Bayat) to look after his dad while he's at work. Razieh is very religious and has deep misgivings about her assignments but desperately needs the money. One day, Nader returns from work early to find that Razieh has tied his father to a bed and left the apartment to run her own errands. An altercation ensues and Nader throws her out of the house. He later finds out that she was hospitalized and suffered a miscarriage. Razieh's husband presses charges and Nader finds himself up for murder. Then the entire thing devolves into each side trying to get the most they can out of the situation while revealing the least amount of secrets.
Honestly, I was so bored watching this I wanted to throw myself down a flight of stairs. I just didn't care about any of these people. That probably makes it a great recommendation for all of you who are interested in character dramas. You'll most likely enjoy the interplay between both couples, each struggling separately and in pairs to get the most out of their lives. You might have sympathy for Razieh trying to balance her religious beliefs with her more practical need to keep her husband out of debtor's prison. Or for Nader who doesn't really want his wife to leave him but who can't unbend his pride enough to tell her so.
I didn't. I hated all of them.
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