Screenplay News and Reviews Are These the Best Valentine’s Day Movies? In the spirit of tumultuous relationships, this list looks at the definitive relationship dramas. These are films that focus on one or more romantic relationships. These aren’t just “falling in love” movies. These are movies that dissect some side of a relationship that helps to drive the plot. So, without further ado, let’s join hands on this journey together. 25. A Separation (2011) Directed by: Asghar Farhadi A rare foreign Oscar nominee for Best Original Screenplay (as well as winning the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar), Asghar Farhadi takes the commonly used “breakdown of a marriage” storyline and adds multiple layers to it, making for one of the richest depictions of marriage in years. “A Separation” is set in Tehran and introduces us to Nader (Peyman Moaadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami), a couple married for 14 years who share an 11 year old daughter named Termeh (Sarina Farhadi). Simin wishes to leave the country with her family, as she wants to provide a better life for Termeh. Nader refuses, concerned about his dying father. As a result, Simin files for divorce. The court denies the appeal, but Simin and Termeh move in with Simin’s parents. From there, the drama becomes more complicated, as Iranian tradition and religion are brought into the picture, with Nader hiring a housekeeper named Razieh to care for his father. Eventually, conflict arises between Razieh, her husband, and Nader, who finds his father tied to the bed and pushes Razieh in anger, causing her to fall down a stairwell. In the end, while the drama doesn’t all center around Simin and Nader’s relationship, it all eventually filters down to how Termeh views her parents, if she thinks her father is guilty of his accusations, and who she prefers to live with after the divorce. The acting is phenomenal, the writing is superb, and the development of all the major players make “A Separation” not just one of the best foreign films of the last ten years, but one of the best film, regardless of language.