I know a lot of people (whose opinions I really respect) really loved Cabin in the Woods and I generally dig anything Joss; hell I very, very much wanted to be on board with this.

Yet.

The proof is in the pudding: I cannot imagine watching a movie in 2012 that I was more indifferent towards. Sure, there is a tonne more money and glossy cinematography, but really, is this much better than Monster Brawl or Jack Brooks, Monster Slayer?

Cabin in the Woods is like this trend of teasers for trailers: Do we really need a film that deconstructs meta-horror films? No thanks. This isn't clever, it's a cruel, soulless joke. All flourish, no fun. The thing is so bloody shallow, with ZERO stakes in anything whatsoever, and that, my friends, is a deal-breaker for me. "The world needs to crumble to get out of its rut?" What are we, 15 years old?

If you need me, I'll be watching Drag Me To Hell (or Cabin Fever), which is how you make this kind of thing in the 21st century. Sam Raimi would be rolling over in his grave, you know, if he were dead.

Better luck next time, Joss. We still have Serenity.

Peace. Love.

Ego. Shame. Fear. Guilt. All are underscored here insofar as problems can spiral out of control when people push each other to the limit. Even moreso, A Separation shows the true ineffectualness of any bureaucratic legal body to sort out problems that are best suited to dramatization. Thus, we are armed with the God's Eye view, and A SEPARATION appeals to logic, empathy, and yes, judgement. It's the Iranian version of THE SWEET HEREAFTER, in its own way, and damn if that isn't a compliment of the highest order.

I had a plethora of reactions to the film and all of them, I believe, were earned. That is to say: the film doesn't 'cheat' (sorry for opening a can of worms) by going all Lars Von Trier with its plot points.

And that ending is perfect.