A Separation
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85146)
Shingle Springs, California
February 26, 2012 1:16am CST
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/jun/30/a-separation-review
An Iranian film with subtitles about a couple that is separating. The wife wants to leave Iran in the hopes that their daughter will have better opportunities. The husband does not want to leave his ailing father who has Alzheimers, and will not allow her to take their daughter out of the country. A series of unfortunate events follow, leaving the daughter in the middle of multiple conflicts.
Really good, kept me interested all the way through.
Do you venture out of the mainstream sometimes and watch foreign films? With subtitles?
6 people like this
22 responses
@topffer (42156)
• France
26 Feb 12
I am interested by foreign films, but the main problem is to be able to watch them in a small town like mine, where 90% of films in movie theaters are French or Americans. This leaves very little room for non US/non French films. The only way to see an Iranian or Indian movie here is to buy a DVD when they are available. I like to see subtitled original versions when I know the language, but I am reluctant to watch a subtitled movie in a language I don't know : it needs a lot of efforts and I have the feeling to miss half of the dialogs.
2 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
26 Feb 12
I agree about watching subtitled movies - I either tend to miss half the action due to reading the dialog or miss what they are saying if I am watching what is happening on the screen.
2 people like this
@hexeduser22 (7419)
• Philippines
27 Feb 12
I've learnt a couple of Chinese words just by watching films with subtitles, so it's not bad at all specially if the translations are good. what's bad is an English films with wrong subtitles on it and there's a lot of it in Pirated DVD's, arrgh hate it
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
27 Feb 12
Oh, I was watching "The Tourist" the other day, and it had the wrong subtitles on it. They were not so bad that the general ideas and conversations could not be understood, but it still bothered me that the words were not correct, especially when they were speaking in English and the subtitles were also in English.
1 person likes this
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
26 Feb 12
Hi dawn, howz you? not seen for a long time.
The way you narrated the story briefly I sort of got the whole of the film. That is a realistic one for sure for not only in Iran there are other countries too where similar cases are taking place and thus the film in a way flash 'everyman' problem and hence universal.
Yes, I watch films of foreign language and setting with or without subtitles. I have seen Russian movies more than others.
2 people like this
@Savvynlady (3684)
• United States
27 Feb 12
I saw them nominate it at the Oscars last night, not sure if it won or not but it looked pretty interesting
and I want to touch on the situation. It is hard to do one thing but you have another situation that is pressing and you feel obligated to do something so what do you do? The wife wanted a better education or opportunity for her child, but at the same time,you have a sick.family member so what can you do? how do you go about it?
1 person likes this
@Savvynlady (3684)
• United States
14 Apr 12
So it would seem. To me, if the father had hired someone who was more experienced in that type of work as well,(dealing with older people) perhaps that part could have worked out well for all concerned. when you get someone who is there just for the money, that isn't good either.
@2wicelot (2945)
•
26 Feb 12
It is a very interesting movie. I think the acting was excellent and natural and I was especially impressed with the ability of the child actors. But from the story I think the woman trying to leave Iran was a bit selfish because it seem the situation changed and her husband and daughter were not willing to leave the country anymore. Yet the woman decided to separate from her family and that decision led to the series of unfortunate events that followed. That's my view anyway.
2 people like this
@2wicelot (2945)
•
27 Feb 12
I think the woman actually asked him to choose between his wife and his father in the beginning of the movie when they were in front of the judge. Basically she asked him to choose between her and his old father who had alzheimers.It is kind of a really twisted story and I really hope it never happens in real life.
@UmiNoor (4523)
• Malaysia
29 Feb 12
This movie won the Best Picture Oscar for Foreign Film. I wonder if the win is politically motivated seeing that the US has been at odds with Iran. Perhaps the win is a way for the film industry to placate the Iranians.
Anyway, I would really like to watch this movie and see what makes it worth the Oscar that it had won. It must be very good to win an Oscar.
1 person likes this
@Savvynlady (3684)
• United States
14 Apr 12
I would like to feel that it was based solely on the merit of it's talent. just my opinion that's all.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
14 Apr 12
I can't comment about whether it was deserving compared to the others, because I didn't see any of them. But it was a great picture.
@WildHorses (718)
• United States
13 Apr 12
Oh gosh.. I haven't even watched anything in forever, let alone any that were foreign. The one I do know is called The Red Balloon I think but that was also part of a musical piece.
1 person likes this
@WildHorses (718)
• United States
15 Apr 12
Here's the link for you: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048980/
@estherlou (5015)
• United States
26 Feb 12
Foreign films is my husbands' passion. He watches several a week. I never understood the attraction but he is avid about them and as a result, has learned a lot about cultures around the world from watching them.
1 person likes this
@krajibg (11922)
• Guwahati, India
26 Feb 12
Hi,
Yes, watching foreign films is a medium of learning and knowing the culture and the way of lives of the people of those countries. This is my experience too. I watch Russian, French, Indonesian Films and I really enjoy them just like I enjoy Hindi and English.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
27 Feb 12
Sounds good. So how did it end? I do watch films with sub titles but not many. French ones usually
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
28 Feb 12
They separated and they left it just as the daughter was making her decision about who to live with...
@JenInTN (27514)
• United States
27 Feb 12
I have ventured out of the mainstream on occasion. I should look to broaden my horizons more but the ones I have watched and gotten in to have been mostly by accident.
Sounds like a very interesting film! I'll have to look it up and watch it.
1 person likes this
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
1 Mar 12
When I was in school there were some times that we had to watch foreign films for our classes and those were probably the only foreign films that I've ever watched in my life.
I know that I'm probably missing out on a lot by not watching foreign films, but I find it quite difficult to be able to watch the action of a movie when I'm also trying to read subtitles.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
14 Apr 12
I watched a few in college in German (but no subtitles).
You have to be a really fast reader, I think, and even then some people would have difficulty doing both.
@hexeduser22 (7419)
• Philippines
27 Feb 12
I love watching foreign films with subtitles...I always watch Chinese and Korean films when I was young so even though I read the subtitles I never miss any action on the screen. I like to know more of Bollywood movies because the movie "3 idiots" moved me in such a way that no other foreign films I've watched before.
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
27 Feb 12
I think that it is probably easier to watch movies with subtitles if it is something that you have done for a while. It definitely takes a bit to get used to them, especially if the dialog is long. I would not go to a movie theater to watch them, either, since I sometimes have to rewind and play parts again to understand both what is being said and what the characters are doing.
@CTHanum (8234)
• Malaysia
27 Feb 12
Thanks for the link. I will check more about it later.
Back to the topic, I am used to it so I got no problem to watch foreign movies with subtitle and my eyes can go along with the scenes and the translations. It's pretty boring to just watch movies or dramas in our language only. Since our country is multiracial the tv station always provide us with various kind of movies from different countries with subtitle. When we get used to some of the terms sometimes we don't need the subtitle we still can understand it..(^^)
1 person likes this
@Rick1950 (1576)
• Lima, Peru
26 Feb 12
I think that most of the films I've seen were subtitled, because they have been spoken in English. I don't mind if the films are subtitled, although I've heard from some people that they can't see enough time the movie because they are reading the text. Sometimes I've watched movies where the subtitles were showed too fast. However, if a film is subtitled, it shouldn't be reason for not to see it. I've seen awesome foreign movies on different languages, which haven't been showed at the cinemas.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (92708)
• United States
27 Feb 12
Did you see it won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film last night? Listening to the man's acceptance speech made me tear up a bit. The work it took just to get the film made simply because of Iran's dictatorship is amazing. I'm so glad that they got to make such a touching film. I will not be seeing this film though. I'm having a hard time right now and am trying to stay away from serious movie fare. I really take movies to heart. The last movie with subtitles I saw was Pan's Labyrinth, which was incredible. I definitely recommend that one.
@celticeagle (166911)
• Boise, Idaho
26 Feb 12
I do occasionally. I watched one last year that was frend and I think it was called Woman on the Beach. Two married people meet on holiday in beach touristy type town. Neither were happy in their marriages. It was sort of sad because neither would leave their spouses and at the end she comes to the beach front with her husband. The other guy is there(they always go about the same time each year. Works well that way.) He was alone and saw her. Agony.
@celticeagle (166911)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Feb 12
I see that the movie got an academy award for something.
@hexeduser22 (7419)
• Philippines
27 Feb 12
Aw that's torture to both of them...interesting movie though
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100280)
• India
26 Feb 12
Yes I do. :) Mainstream is often boring. And I honestly dont like some of the horror stuff you all are able to create. :) Why do you all have to create some fear? Dont we come across enough already? I like Jackie Chan movies. :) And I dont like Die Hard, Terminator, what nots also. :) Give me The Sound of Music anyday. That is the best American movie ever. Roman Holiday is the other. And My Fair Lady. :) Why did you all leave that path..I am, however, fine with detective serials, and comedies ..Police Academy, two and a half men and friends. :) Spielberg gets a from me. So..I truly dont like mainstream stuff.
@rafiholmes (2896)
• Malaysia
27 Feb 12
oh yes..this is a good film ..drama about family..life etc..
it just won the oscar for best foreign picture..earlier today..