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A SEPARATION (JODAEIYE NADER AZ SIMIN)Movie Reviews
Persian language drama about an Iranian couple whose marriage dissolves over family loyalties. Cast:Leila Hatami, Peyman Moaadi, Shahab Hosseini, Sareh Bayat, Sarina Farhadi, Babak Karimi, Ali-Asghar Shahbazi, Shirin Yazdanbakhsh, Kimia Hosseini, Merila ZareiDirector:Asghar FarhadiRelease Date:December 30, 2011DVD Release:August 21, 2012From:Sony ClassicsRating:PG-13Length:2 hr 3 min
AUGUST 21, 2012
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin), Exceptional Reviews Key Cities
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) played in key cities to exceptional reviews. • Richard Corliss wrote in Time, "...fascinating and seductive... just about perfect..." • And Bill Goodykoontz wrote in the Arizona Republic, "...a great movie... The acting is brilliant -- Peyman Moadi and Leila Hatami are especially good -- and the direction masterful." More Reviews Below...
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) Positive Reviews (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the emotional entanglements that ensnare the couples couldn't be more complicated.... a film so affecting, it's not to be missed."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 82 words, 01/05/12
Richard Corliss, Time: OUTSTANDING "...fascinating and seductive... reveals (exposes, if you like) modern Iranians as soldiers in an implicit war on many fronts... just about perfect..."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,323 words, 12/30/11
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...devastating.... not only is it worth seeking out, it's one you need to see with friends because it invites -- or rather demands -- debate afterward."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 556 words, 01/05/12
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the film wraps us, with stunning directness, in the complex folds of its characters' passions... It evolves into the most organic of thrillers."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 346 words, 01/06/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...the remarkable writer-director Asghar Farhadi takes us into the emotional heart of modern Iran.... a landmark film. No way will you be able to get it out of your head."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 168 words, 01/06/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...we're instantly hooked by this window into contemporary Iran.... Realistically messy, unexpectedly devastating and as tense as any Hitchcock thriller..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 408 words, 12/30/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Some inflamed American political rhetoric has portrayed it as a rogue nation eager to start nuclear war.... But this film portrays a more nuanced nation..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 783 words, 01/27/12
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an almost classic story of a wrong move in the wrong place at the wrong time, and how the specific gravity of a circumscribed situation can shift..."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 12/19/11
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a rigorously honest movie about the difficulties of being honest.... a story that quietly and shrewdly combines elements of family melodrama and legal thriller."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 765 words, 12/30/11
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "The power in Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's familial-social drama is felt in closeups.... this methodical but passionate movie shows everything pulled apart."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 299 words, 12/28/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...a thrilling domestic drama that offers acute insights into human motivations and behavior as well as a compelling look at what goes on behind a particular curtain..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 12/30/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...nothing about it lifts it above quality TV dramas. But these days there is so much quality television that it's a compliment to say a film is good enough to watch on TV..."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 477 words, 12/30/11
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a singular achievement, a piece of realist cinema with the pull of a suspense thriller, given its characters' array of deceits, troubles, burdens and miseries..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 614 words, 01/27/12
John Anderson, New York Newsday: OUTSTANDING(cg) "A stunning film whose simple premise explodes and radiates into a galaxy of unforeseeable complications, conflicts and emotions."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 401 words, 01/27/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: OUTSTANDING "What makes it so good is that no one is bad. These humans, desperate to do right, are caught up in a perfect storm of inhumanity. The evil is in the ecosystem."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 709 words, 01/09/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Some inflamed American political rhetoric has portrayed it as a rogue nation eager to start nuclear war.... But this film portrays a more nuanced nation..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 783 words, 01/27/12
J. Hoberman, Village Voice: EXCELLENT "...an urgently shot courtroom drama designed to put you in the jury box.... writer/director Asghar Farhadi resists the notion of narrative closure."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 646 words, 12/28/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a superb detective story... Those Agatha Christie questions are all there - who did what to whom and why? - but the answers are the least important part of the film."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 750 words, 01/20/12
Mike D'Angelo, LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...captures like no other film the ways that parents unwittingly manipulate and even emotionally terrorize their kids... Miss this masterpiece at your peril."(See all of Mike D'Angelo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 195 words, 11/03/11
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an absorbing, utterly of-the-moment movie that's confident enough to leave filmgoers without pat resolutions but with plenty of hauntingly provocative questions."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 559 words, 01/20/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...stunningly acted, emotionally universal and culturally specific in ways that make it all the more engrossing."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 461 words, 02/03/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a great movie... The acting is brilliant -- Peyman Moadi and Leila Hatami are especially good -- and the direction masterful."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 724 words, 02/03/12
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...you watch in dread, awe, and amazing aggravation.... The situation that unfolds approaches the absurdity of farce but denies the relief and release of humor."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 674 words, 01/27/12
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...touches on religious strictures and the role of women in Iran, but it does so with a light hand and not a twitch of condemnation."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 382 words, 01/20/12
John Hartl, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Asghar Farhadi's fifth feature film demonstrates a technical assurance and a storytelling gift that make you wonder why his previous work hasn't been widely seen."(See all of John Hartl's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 400 words, 02/03/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a portrait of an essential and sympathetic human dilemma, and in that it's both real and timeless in ways that transcend borders, cultures and languages."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 580 words, 02/03/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...so timelessly humane and even-handed it feels like it came from the dockets of Solomon -- by way of Sidney Lumet.... a plaintive fable of the human condition..."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 321 words, 02/17/12
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...flawlessly acted and difficult to predict. I'm always impressed when a movie informs about a foreign culture while it entertains, and this one is powerful art in that regard."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 356 words, 03/01/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...succeeds so well that the end result is pulverizing. Sometimes, in an attempt to do the best we can for the people we love, we end up wreaking irreparable damage."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 743 words, 01/27/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
J. Hoberman, Village Voice: EXCELLENT "...an urgently shot courtroom drama designed to put you in the jury box.... writer/director Asghar Farhadi resists the notion of narrative closure."(See all of J. Hoberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 646 words, 12/28/11
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Iranian cinema continues to produce some of the world's subtlest and most illuminating films about the relationships between men and women..."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 297 words, 01/26/12
Mike D'Angelo, LA Weekly: OUTSTANDING "...captures like no other film the ways that parents unwittingly manipulate and even emotionally terrorize their kids... Miss this masterpiece at your peril."(See all of Mike D'Angelo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 195 words, 11/03/11
Scott Tobias, AV Club: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Beyond the impeccable performances and direction, it's foremost an exceptional piece of screenwriting, so finely wrought that the drama seems guided by an invisible hand."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 399 words, 12/29/11
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: EXCELLENT(cg) "...save for the occasional camera jiggle, you're barely aware of the filmmaking at all.... packs a lot of quiet anger and frustration... a quiet cry of anguish."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 711 words, 12/29/11
Nick Schager, Slant: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...superb.... Farhadi exudes sincere empathy for his tale's competing POVs, taking time to understand and acknowledge the root motivations of his various players..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 711 words, 09/29/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "Flawlessly crafted, brilliantly performed and elegantly photographed, it follows a succession of disastrous consequences that flow from the marital split..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 842 words, 12/30/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a rigorously honest movie about the difficulties of being honest.... a story that quietly and shrewdly combines elements of family melodrama and legal thriller."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 765 words, 12/30/11
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: OUTSTANDING "The miracle of 'A Separation' is that it doesn't spare any of its characters, nor does it seek to indict them. It is a democratic portrait of a theocratic world."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,180 words, 01/02/12
Bob Mondello, NPR: OUTSTANDING "...when you consider how heavily censored filmmakers are in Iran, director Asghar Farhadi's accomplishment starts to seem downright astonishing."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 430 words, 12/29/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...a thrilling domestic drama that offers acute insights into human motivations and behavior as well as a compelling look at what goes on behind a particular curtain..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 12/30/11
Dana Stevens, Slate: OUTSTANDING "...a quiet reminder of how good it's possible for movies to be. You don't always have to sacrifice complexity for suspense, or formal sophistication for visceral power."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 760 words, 12/30/11
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: OUTSTANDING "...remarkable... something close to a contemporary masterwork.... a profoundly humane work with the emotional payoff and far-sighted tragic vision of a great novel."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,273 words, 12/29/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Alissa Simon, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "Tense... formally dense and morally challenging.... casts a revealing light on contempo Iranian society, taking on issues of gender, class, justice and honor..."(See all of Alissa Simon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 568 words, 02/15/11
Deborah Young, Hollywood Reporter: OUTSTANDING "Apparently simple on a narrative level yet morally, psychologically and socially complex... brings Iranian society into focus in a way few other films have..."(See all of Deborah Young's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 693 words, 02/15/11
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...a thrilling domestic drama that offers acute insights into human motivations and behavior as well as a compelling look at what goes on behind a particular curtain..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 731 words, 12/30/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a provocative film that raises timely questions, instead of imposing ideas and answers, questions that go beyond the current living conditions in Iran."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 551 words, 12/05/11
A.O. Scott, New York Times: EXCELLENT "...a rigorously honest movie about the difficulties of being honest.... a story that quietly and shrewdly combines elements of family melodrama and legal thriller."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 765 words, 12/30/11
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: OUTSTANDING "Flawlessly crafted, brilliantly performed and elegantly photographed, it follows a succession of disastrous consequences that flow from the marital split..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 842 words, 12/30/11
7.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)'s reviews are separated by an average 7.7 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) (46 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)'s reviews cover 91.6% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 26,723 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 581 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) Coverage, Volume & Length (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 64.0 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)'s reviews on average broke 64.0 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) (46 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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