Who here is NOT Iranian, and likes this movie? (im interested)

I'm Canadian and I loved it!
1. The acting was amazing..from the whole cast.
2. The storyline was relatable and very intriguing.
3. I loved the old man who played the grandfather. So adorable. :)

I'm not Iranian. I loved this film because it's such a beautifully constructed piece of work that's both tense and thought-provoking as well. It deserved its Oscar.

I thought it was one of the 30 best movies I've ever seen. (Out of 989. Admittedly, 442 of those are from the last 11 years -- I became a film buff late in life -- so it will probably end up quite a bit lower once I see more classics, but it's still going to remain a masterpiece.)

More confidently, I'll say that this is the best pure drama I've seen in the last 11 years. (See my list of favorites below.) You'll note that 4 of the 8 movies I've liked better are science fiction or fantasy, one is about fantastic storytelling (The Fall), and one (Hugo) is fantastic alternate history. This is not surprising from someone who's been a World Fantasy Award nominee, essentially for critical work! A seventh, Memento is essentially real-life sf, and the last, Winter's Bone, although easily the film on my list that most resembles this one in its emotional clout, appeals to me especially by borrowing two structural elements from fantasy and hence feeling somewhat mythic. So A Separation hit me harder and moved me more than any recent movie that did not play to my tastes and expertise. I think I'd have to go all the way back to 1979 and Manhattan to find a completely naturalistic movie that I loved more.

Why did I think this film was so great? Simply because the story gripped me completely and moved me enormously; I got choked up / shed a few tears at a number of points, and on behalf of multiple characters. I had empathy for every character, even, ultimately Hodjat (the hotheaded husband of the maid). Everyone was sincerely trying to do what they felt was best, but they were all held back either by perfectly common and understandable character flaws** or by their culture / religion. And the results were tragic.

**If you can even call them flaws. People have said that Nader's undoing is his excessive pride, but I'd like to see all of those people essentially admit guilt for a death they were not sure they were responsible for.

And compared to other films I love with similar thematic depth (e.g., Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring), it was unusually engaging at the plot level. One critic described it as a cross between Hitchcock and Bergman, and I think that nails it.

The performances were terrific, and the direction / editing / cinematography tremendously effective.

Finally, it did a tremendous job of communicating the aspects of Iranian culture that were important to understanding the story -- perhaps simply by being so naturalistic. The obvious comparison for me was the second best foreign language film released in the U.S. in 2011, Poetry, which in fact has some similarity of story. In that case, I felt I truly only understood the cultural forces at play by the movie's end, and really need to see it again to completely "get it."

Is that 3? :)

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My favorite films since 2001:

1. The Lord of the Rings (extended editions)
2. Donnie Darko (director's cut)
3. Memento
4. Winter's Bone
5. The Fall
6. Inception
7. The Prestige
8. Hugo
9. A Separation
10. In the Mood for Love
11. Lars and the Real Girl
12. Primer
13. Once
14. Spirited Away
15. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Prepare your minds for a new scale of physical, scientific values, gentlemen.

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i'm not an iranian. i don't like this movie, i love it. ;)

i can't give you three reasons, i can give you a million. ;p

ok, since you asked for three;

1. its layered story.
2. the hillarious moment (the oxgen tank scene with the little girl.)
3. beautiful actresses and actors.

Non-Iranian here and liked it.

1. Realistic atmosphere.
2. Well-made. Felt like a well-thought movie.
3. Did not resort to extreme violence or nudity to point out story.

I don't have a problem giving this movie a 10. Probably the best foreign-language film winner among the foreign-language film winners in the history of The Oscars.

I saw the comment from the Swedish commenter here on this topic about sharia law.

I am an Iranian, lived most of my life in Sweden; and i feel i should clear up any confusion about this matter. This film reflects Iranian/Persian culture, not Islamic culture.

Sharia law is as violent, disturbing and uncivilized as you heard it was. In fact in many moments of the movie the director tries to show what Islam has done to our beautiful Persian culture. Examples:

* When Nader corrects his daughter's "Arabic" word for Persian.
* When the woman worker calls and asks if it's alright for her to work in a man's house.
* When Nader says he couldn't tell if she was pregnant due to the way she dressed.. and many more.

I should also mention that in the ending when she refuses to swear by the Quran that Nader was the cause of her miscarriage; that has nothing to do with Islam, that shows the character's ethical standards.

I'm English. Thought it was great.

Acting, story, direction, dialogue, ambiguous morality of the characters. I could rattle on for ages if I went into more depth, so I'll leave it at that. I've dipped lightly into French & Swedish cinema, and this film makes me want to try some more Iranian stuff.


The only problem was that I got distracted every time Nader was on screen because I couldnt help thinking he's a dead-ringer for Freddie Mercury.

"It is time to keep your appointment with the Wicker Man"