Farhadi's sixth film is another complex relationship drama preoccupied, as most notably in the case of
A Separation, with the break-up of a marriage. But here we are thrown into the aftermath instead, with an Iranian man returning to France to tie up loose ends with his ex-wife, and the title,
The Past, reflects the backwards-looking nature of the story with the couple dealing with the emotional fall-out four years after the event and buried events gradually coming to light. Farhadi again makes effective use of his trademark technique of the deliberate omission of certain links and information to draw the viewer in, although more understatedly than before.
The trio of principal actors put in layered, naturalistic performances in which body language and expressions play a large part, no doubt owing to the director not speaking French and so focusing on more than just the dialogue. It's not comfortable viewing, particularly Bérénice Bejo's portrayal of the self-centred and unstable ex-wife, a million miles removed from her perky charm in
The Artist, but has an emotional truth that reaffirms Farhadi as a distinctive and thoughtful voice in modern world cinema.
7/10
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