TIFF 2013: The Past Review

The Past

The Past

Special Presentation

Director: Asghar Farhadi

While not up to the same dramatic highs as his previous award winning effort A Separation, Asghar Farhadi returns with an even more melodramatic look at a crumbling family going through a scarring, drawn out divorce.

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Ahmed (Ali Mosaffa) returns to Paris from Tehran to finalize his divorce to Marie (Berenice Bejo, The Artist), staying at her place until everything is . She’s living with a new man, Samir (Tahar Rahim, A Prophet), destined to become her third husband, and taking care of his young son while his soon to be ex remains in hospital in a vegetative state. Things get messier when Marie eldest Lucie (Pauline Burlet) from her first marriage before Ahmed refuses to be around her next step-father. Ahmed finds himself caught in the middle, Marie-Anne hasn’t been truthful with anyone, and Samir has to take a long hard look at what he things is important in his life.

Farhadi does a fine job not overloading the audience all at once with the numerous personality and plot twists, but there’s still far too much going on here, at times verging on going way over the top. Mosaffa and Rahim give fine, understated performances, but Bejo is forced at times to emote a bit too heavily. At its best moments (and there are quite a few) it’s just as wrenching as A Separation, but it’s also far more streamlined and shorthanded for mass consumption this time out.

Screens

Thursday, September 5th, 9:30pm , Visa Screening Room (Elgin)

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Saturday, September 7th, 10:30am, TIFF Bell Lightbox 2



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