(130 minutes) written and directed by Asghar Farhadi.
Nimbly and unhurriedly, The Past embroils us in the histories, personalities and prospects of a divorcing couple, her new partner, and their children. Set outside Iran, unlike Farhadi’s earlier relationship dramas, About Elly and A Separation, it doesn’t reveal broader gender, class and political divisions in Iran. But, right up to the last shot, it’s as honest, unpredictable and striking in showing the constraints on personal choice – and their effects on oneself, and other people.
