The Pass (2013)

The Pass (2013) by Asghar Farhadi

After a string of high-quality films that made waves at various international festivals, 2009 finally marked a major global breakthrough with About Elly. That film earned him the top directing prize in Berlin, and just two years later, he would achieve total triumph with his masterpiece Nader and Simin, better known as A Separation. That one swept both critics and audiences alike, winning big in Berlin before ultimately walking away with both a Golden Globe and an Oscar 2012 for Best Foreign Language Film.

Farhadi’s latest work—which serves as the official Iranian Academy Award nominee 2014—is set in Paris. It weaves together a web of interconnected lives, all deeply tied to a past that refuses to stay buried. No matter how hard they try to move forward, these characters are constantly forced to re-examine life choices that carry massive consequences for their ability to coexist.

Between the brilliant screenplay and the flawless performances from the entire cast (and yes, even the supporting players), this is a truly exceptional piece of cinema. It’s a breath of fresh air for anyone who is frankly exhausted by the endless cycle of rapid-fire editing and flashy special effects. If you're looking for a heavy dose of humanity—something that actually makes you pause and reflect on how incredibly difficult it can be just to be an ordinary person in today's world—this is it.

I'm scrolling through some trivia right now, and apparently, Marion Cotillard stepped in for Berenice Bejo at the last minute. Honestly? Thank God for that.

goldenhound32 said:It says Marion Cotillard stepped in for Berenice at the last minute. Thank goodness for that.

I honestly think Marion Cotillard would have been a perfectly fine choice too... but after seeing how Berenice handled it, I’d say it was a more than worthy replacement.
I am genuinely impressed by her chemistry with the male lead (the Iranian actor).
It’s mostly the dialogue, obviously... but there are those quiet moments where the silence speaks louder than any line ever could.
Besides, we all know she’s a master of non-verbal storytelling after her performance in The Artist.

She’s absolutely stunning. But Marion? Not so much. That’s where I see the divide. And look, I’m not even talking about their range as actresses here.

goldenhound32 said:She's stunning... but Marion isn't really my thing.

wtf? Marion is gorgeous...

Oh, please...

Hmmmm... I was honestly expecting a bit more buzz around this one.
It seems like a good chunk of the cinephile crowd hasn't actually sat down to watch it yet, even though it’s been available on all the standard streaming platforms for a while now.

It might get a second wind once the nominations for the big awards are announced, though.

It’ll be more than just a one-off entry, don't worry about it. 🙂

Then again, you can't really expect an American indie drama from an Iranian director to pull the same numbers as those big Hollywood blockbusters. Even if this is several steps above the usual straight-to-streaming Hollywood melodrama, it's still a different league.

It’s a decent enough movie, though I can't say it blew me away—not even close to how much I liked A Separation. It’s high quality, sure, but does it feel a bit hollow to anyone else? A solid 7/10 from me.

Man, Farhadi is a freaking master! This might honestly be the best movie I’ve seen all year. Every single actor was incredible, the script was top-tier—just two solid hours of pure cinematic bliss.
Yesterday, by some stroke of terrible luck, I ended up watching Grown Ups 2—total brain rot and absolute garbage. It was so bad I actually felt embarrassed for wasting two hours of my life on such trash. After being exposed to that toxic waste, I desperately needed an antidote, and then I stumbled upon The Pass. It’s an impressive piece of work from a genius storyteller like Farhadi. You know you aren't just watching some cheap daytime soap opera when you get to that final scene: the woman lying there in the hospital in a coma because she swallowed detergent, desperately squeezing her husband's finger—the very man who drove her to attempt suicide in the first place—and a tear rolls down her face because she caught the scent of his cologne. That right there? That's how you know you've just watched a genuine masterpiece.

Man, Farhadi is a freaking genius! This might honestly be the best movie I've seen all year. The acting is top-tier across the board, the script is flawless—just two solid hours of pure cinematic bliss.
Yesterday, by some stroke of terrible luck, I ended up watching Grown Ups 2—which is absolute garbage. It’s such mindless trash that I actually felt embarrassed for wasting two hours of my life on it. After being force-fed that toxic waste, I desperately needed an antidote, and then I stumbled upon The Pass. It's an incredibly impressive film from a master storyteller like Farhadi. You know you aren't just watching some cheap daytime soap opera when you hit that final scene: the woman lying in a coma after drinking detergent, desperately squeezing her husband's finger—the very man who drove her to that point—and a single tear rolls down her face because she caught the scent of his perfume. That's how you know you've just watched a genuine masterpiece.

Just some random thoughts... this actress is stunning, but Marion is great too, she's got a killer figure!

Does anyone else think the lead actor playing Ahmad looks a bit like Joe Pantoliano?

As for the movie itself, Farhadi hits the mark again, though it feels a little lighter than About Elly or A Separation. Those two are absolute masterpieces in my book—honestly more intense than most Hollywood thrillers... maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, haha

The cast is incredible, the script is solid, and the directing is top-tier. It just lacks that edge of tension from his earlier stuff; I missed those explosive scenes where everyone is shouting and fighting... maybe because the setting moved to France this time, so things feel a bit more relaxed and free
Definitely one of the best films of 2013

8.5/10

@Rachel Hall29
I’m going to ask you to please refrain from dropping any spoilers.

@Rachel Ortiz33
Even if it’s being called the film of the year, I have to agree—About Elly and A Separation are still superior works.

Terry Morris41 said:Does anyone else think the lead actor playing Ahmed looks a bit like Joe Pantoliano?

That’s a really interesting observation. To be honest, I was immediately struck by how much he reminded me of Paul Giamatti (the lead from A Separation). 😁
In fact, while watching the whole movie, I was almost certain it actually *was* him—it would have made perfect sense, given he starred in Farhad's previous film.

Turns out Ali Mosaffa is actually bald... but honestly, that's beside the point. 😁

analogbear40 said:That’s such a cool catch! It totally reminded me of Paul Giamatti (the lead in A Separation). 😁
Honestly, watching the whole movie, I was pretty sure it was him—makes sense since he carried the lead role in Farhad’s last flick, too.

Turns out this guy (Ali Mosaffa) is actually bald... but hey, who cares, right? 😁

I thought it was him at first too, but realized pretty quick it wasn't. They look way different... though it feels like almost every guy in America rocks a beard like that nowadays.
Probably would've been the guy playing the lead in A Separation if the story took place in America instead. Guess he's his favorite actor or something...

analogbear40 said:That’s actually a really interesting point, because honestly, he reminded me so much of Paul Giamatti (the lead in A Separation). 😁
To be fair, while I was watching the whole movie, I was almost certain it was him—it would have made total sense given he carried the lead role in Farhad's previous flick.

Turns out this guy (Ali Mosaffa) is actually bald... though, honestly, that's not even the point. 😁

Personally, I just thought he looked like what G. Bara might look like if he put on a few extra pounds. 😁

Anyway, the more I sit here and chew on this film, the more I find myself liking it. It starts right from that opening scene where Mary is at the airport, shouting and waving behind the glass, desperately trying to get some attention, but nobody notices her—nobody even "hears" her, especially not her husband—and it carries that same weight all the way through to that final hospital scene.
Tonight, I’m diving into Ellie, which somehow managed to fly completely under my radar until now...

And look at how women play games—she basically admits she didn't book his hotel or anything just so she could rub her new relationship in his face 😁

Yeah, the more you chew on this movie, the more little details start hitting you

Terry Morris41 said:And you see how women operate? Like, she basically admits she didn't bother booking him a hotel room or anything just so she could rub her new relationship in his face right under his nose. 😁

Yeah, the more you chew on this movie, the more these tiny, significant details start popping out at you.

It really suggests she still cares about him, even if their marriage wasn't exactly a lifelong thing. He left four years ago, and that little girl, who's maybe eight or nine, isn't even his. It's all because of that damn Mary...

It’s a solid movie—a total slice of real-life family drama with that flawless directing and acting you always get from Farhadi.
Still, something just felt missing to me, and I can't shake the feeling that it falls a few notches short of A Separation, which was honestly a masterpiece and one of those rare perfect 10s I've seen in years. This one just didn't grab me quite as much—it lacked that spark, and I actually found myself feeling the runtime a bit too much.
There were moments where the characters' reactions felt... off? Not the acting, mind you—because again, the three leads and even the kids are phenomenal—but maybe some questionable writing choices.
So, overall, I'm on the same page as Rachel Ortiz33.
My rating? A strong 7, leaning toward an 8.

[And since we're debating actress beauty (wtf 🙄 I didn't expect that from you, 593 😁), I think both are pretty, but they aren't exactly bombshells. Though, I don't really get the hype about obsessing over Cotillard, especially since most of the world sees her as a total knockout anyway.]

Look, this movie isn't exactly everyone's cup of tea. It’s got a pretty slow burn going on, and honestly, the pacing drags in places. I personally struggled with how static the camera work felt—it stayed glued in one spot way too often for my liking—but hey, you can't win them all!
It’s definitely not a bad flick by any means, though I can't help but feel it had the potential to be even better.