My oh my why do we human beings make our lives so complicated? Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi shows once again with "Le passé (The Past)", the follow-up to his Oscar-winning "A Separation", that human relationships are a source of endless mystery and that family is a battleground of secrets and lies where, through love, hate, envy, fear, guilt or sheer self-preservation we learn to conceal, hurt, shift blame and cover tracks.
The script is immaculately constructed, basing a multifaceted character study and bonafide thriller on the premise of conventional familial drama, pitching perspectives and motives against one another while peeling away layers and layers of deceit until the placid surface is scratched raw and the very concept of truth becomes hopelessly murky. Rich, engaging, momentous, morally difficult and nail-bitingly suspenseful until the last minute, it's nothing short of a master class in screenwriting. Also on prominent display is Farhadi's directorial prowess. How he frames and times the scenes (that last hospital visit!) is often breathtaking in more ways than one. The way he orchestrates the many fine performances into an intricate symphony with precision and especially compassion, so that no character is left unscathed nor compromised, is a triumph.
Written, directed and acted with skill, wisdom and a profound understanding of human nature, this movie is fantastic, fantastic, I mean fantastic.
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