This is not a typical "war movie" as depicted on the cover art. As others have already pointed out, this is a Romeo and Juliet story - set in the backdrop of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
The film fleshes out the main characters with considerable subtlety in the first few minutes, (perhaps missed by some viewers); a Jewish-American man who is apathetic towards Judaism and a liberated "Palestinian"-Arab woman who is disenchanted with the leadership of her own cause and who idolized her Christian-Arab doctor mother. While these qualities are hammered home a little later in the movie, it is they that allow the protagonists, like many in real life, to ultimately step outside the supposed stereotypes of their respective cultures and seek a solution there to their dilemmas. The film also assumes that the viewer will be conversant with some of the history of the conflict and able to recognize major players, issues and themes without help from the movie itself.
Strong acting from a solid cast including the wonderful F. Murray Abraham, excellent camera-work and some stunning scenery. Actual events are woven into the story; there is even some real-life action footage seamlessly entwined in the film and the considerable amount of action footage created by the filmmaker is very realistic and assured. Likewise, there are many memorable scenes of a more philosophical nature and much food for thought, all in addition to the love story that propels us through the scenery of conflict. (I actually coughed up an extra dollar to keep it an extra night in order to review some of them, like: the customs scene, the funeral rally and my favorite: grandfather and Romi going through the checkpoint.)
The scene of the father and child sheltering behind a barrier is actual footage but the subsequent death of the child has been found to be a hoax, it is known as the "Muhammad al-Durrah incident".
Those who see this based on the "Action" cover art will probably be sorely disappointed and might call it "cheesy" but for those with an interest in the issues - there are a considerable number of visual treats and much meat enclosed is within.
Well worth a watch if you're interested in getting past the normal rhetoric and propaganda in the news and seeing some of the interior of the package.
The film fleshes out the main characters with considerable subtlety in the first few minutes, (perhaps missed by some viewers); a Jewish-American man who is apathetic towards Judaism and a liberated "Palestinian"-Arab woman who is disenchanted with the leadership of her own cause and who idolized her Christian-Arab doctor mother. While these qualities are hammered home a little later in the movie, it is they that allow the protagonists, like many in real life, to ultimately step outside the supposed stereotypes of their respective cultures and seek a solution there to their dilemmas. The film also assumes that the viewer will be conversant with some of the history of the conflict and able to recognize major players, issues and themes without help from the movie itself.
Strong acting from a solid cast including the wonderful F. Murray Abraham, excellent camera-work and some stunning scenery. Actual events are woven into the story; there is even some real-life action footage seamlessly entwined in the film and the considerable amount of action footage created by the filmmaker is very realistic and assured. Likewise, there are many memorable scenes of a more philosophical nature and much food for thought, all in addition to the love story that propels us through the scenery of conflict. (I actually coughed up an extra dollar to keep it an extra night in order to review some of them, like: the customs scene, the funeral rally and my favorite: grandfather and Romi going through the checkpoint.)
The scene of the father and child sheltering behind a barrier is actual footage but the subsequent death of the child has been found to be a hoax, it is known as the "Muhammad al-Durrah incident".
Those who see this based on the "Action" cover art will probably be sorely disappointed and might call it "cheesy" but for those with an interest in the issues - there are a considerable number of visual treats and much meat enclosed is within.
Well worth a watch if you're interested in getting past the normal rhetoric and propaganda in the news and seeing some of the interior of the package.
