‘In the Arms of the Tree’ Review: Modest Iranian Film Spins Platitudes Following Two Young Brothers Weathering a Divorce

variety.com:

Manuel Betancourt A family is a careful and often fragile ecosystem. Some can withstand strong winds, while others crumble under the slightest of breezes.

In Babak Khajehpasha’s “In the Arms of the Tree,” a couple who have been together for more than a decade have to grapple with what their decision to divorce will do, not just to their lives but to the well-knit world their two young sons have created for one another.

A modest proposal that examines an isolated family in rural Iran, Khajehpasha’s feature nevertheless brims with heartfelt authenticity.

Kimia and Farid (Maral Baniadam and Javad Ghamati) have decided to call it quits. The two already lead quite independent lives, splitting their time between the various businesses they’ve come to own in the years they’ve been married.