‘The Past’ Trailer: ‘A Separation’ Director Asghar Farhadi Ends Another Marriage
Two of the brightest foreign stars of 2011 have joined forces for a new movie in 2013.The PastteamsAsghar Farhadi, the Iranian director behind the brilliant domestic dramaA Separation, withBérénice Bejo, best known in the U.S. as the sweet-faced ingenue fromThe Artist. Given that pedigree, it’s not surprising that there’s Oscar buzz surrounding the project already; Iran has submittedThe Pastas its foreign-language entry in this year’s Oscar race.
At the center of the drama is Marie (Bejo), a French woman who asks her estranged Iranian husband Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) for a divorce so that she can marry her new boyfriend Samir (A Prophet’sTahar Rahim). Once Ahmad arrives in Paris, however, secrets about the family come to light. See the new trailer from Sony Classics after the jump.
In many ways,The Pastseems to be in the same vein as Farhadi’sA Separation.EWdescribed it, approvingly, as “another wrenchingly intimate tale of domestic turmoil that somehow has the charged tension of a thriller,” and like the previous filmThe Pasthas drawn praise on the festival circuit for Farhadi’s"trademark moral complexity"and his"characteristically even-handed direction."
Not that Farhadi deservesallthe credit. The strong cast’s"unimpeachably authentic"performances are winning people over, too. While Mosaffa and Rahim are getting plenty of compliments, critics are positively gushing over Bejo andPauline Burlet, who plays Marie’s daughter. In short, it’s probably worth looking out for Farhadi and Bejo once again as the 2014 Academy Awards draw near.
The Pastopens in New York and LA onDecember 20.
