The Past (2013) — Iran

           The writer-director Asghar Farhadi's previous film called A Separation won an Oscar in 2012 for best foreign film. Like that film, The Past takes a long look at what seems like a simple domestic story. After four years back in Tehran, Ahmad returns to Paris to finalize his divorce with his French ex-wife Marie (played by Bernice Bejo, who won Best Actress at Cannes for her performance). But like the layers of an onion, the more the story progresses, more and more layers of complexity are revealed. The pain and confusion that greets Ahmad revolve around Marie's sulky teenage daughter from a previous marriage, who unloads on him about Marie's plans to marry Samir, her pregnancy, Samir's unfinished past, and how she contributed to it all. This film earned a whopping 96% on the Tomatometer. In French with some Farsi.