Film Review: "Everybody Knows" ("Todos lo Saben") (2018).

"A film by Asghar Farhadi." This is Everybody Knows (Todos lo Saben). This Spanish-language psychological thriller film written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi. The film centres on Laura, a Spanish woman living in Buenos Aires, returns to her hometown outside Madrid with her two children to attend her sister's wedding. However, the trip is upset by unexpected events that bring secrets into the open.

Due to Farhadi's return to Iran to shoot The Salesman (فروشنده‎) (2016), the production was delayed. By August 2017, the production ultimately resumed, and principal photography commenced, and was shot in Torrelaguna, Spain. The film marks Farhadi's second film to be shot outside of Iran, as well as the first being the Palme d'Or and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language nominee The Past (2013).

The film stars Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Ricardo Darín, Bárbara Lennie, Inma Cuesta, Elvira Mínguez, Eduard Fernández, Ramón Barea, Sara Sálamo, Carla Campra, and Roger Casamajor as Joan. Solid performances were given by the cast, with Cruz and Bardem on top form in this immaculate study of marital disharmony. We cannot really say that any of the characters is unjustified in their conceits. nstead he film's ability to empathise with its characters foibles - on all sides - becomes its profundity. The cast, thanks to Farhadi, has succeeded in underscoring universal impulses of the characters, despite their cultural backgrounds, and in the process he's also removed most of the socio-cultural context that characterised his previous films.

Beautifully written, sensitively directed, and powerfully acted, Everybody Knows serves as another compelling testament to Farhadi's gift for finely layered drama. The film has pulled off the dysfunctional family mystery trick twice now, brilliantly, and perhaps three times in a row would be too much. But it's doubtful he will leave behind the fertile ground of family ties and modern messiness. He sees so much there. Farhadi is the rare director who can establish an atmosphere of intimacy that resonates with meaning and sentiment. Another engrossing and intimate drama, revealing a keen understanding of filmmaking and character creation, realised by flawless performances. The film once again cements Farhadi's position as one of world cinema's finest working filmmakers, capable of flipping his labyrinthine familial fables with the smallest, most inconsequential of actions. Farhadi explores the strength of selfishness and secrets and expresses symbolically - and forcefully - how the past clings to us. Connecting the political dots is a more or less futile task when dealing with a film that seems almost as clueless about private life as it is about the public realm. In addition, the revelations Farhadi relies on to propel the story are not as compelling as he gives them credit. The film never forgets its domestic focus, and Farhadi's keen eye for subtle emotional shifts keeps the story afloat. While the film may not trump Farhadi's previous work, it's still an excellent piece of melodramatic cinema, with a finely staged script and engrossing performances. A superb and engrossing relationship drama.

Simon says Everybody Knows (Todos lo Saben) receives:

Also, see my review for The Salesman (فروشنده‎).