- While director Paul Greengrass uses his shaky cam to create a sense of grit and authenticity to Green Zone -- his telling of what really happened during the search for weapons of mass destruction during the early days of the Iraq War -- it took Matt Damon to give it a human face. He really succeeded making Roy Miller, the chief petty officer in charge of the search fret and sweat as he goes off into the wilds of Baghdad. But of all the actors working on Green Zone the one who not only gave it a verisimilitude, but also had a personal story right out of the citizenry of any war-torn middle eastern city. Said Faraj -- who played Seeyd Hamza, military adjunct to a top Baathist General. Born in Lebanon, Faraj was 13 when exposed to the Lebanese Civil War. As a result, his exchanges between his character and Damon's show a degree of pain and urgency that really drives their scenes home. As the person with the key that leads to the general who unlocks Miller's anger about the nonexistent WMDs, the film arc pivots around some of their scenes". Brad Balfour, Editor in Chief, Editorial Director, CEO Huffington Post.
- "Said Faraj delivers a brilliant performance in Green Zone," said Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of Imperial Life in the Emerald City, the award-winning book that inspired the film. "He brings his character to life with compelling authenticity. I've spent a lot of time with former Iraqi army officers," Chandrasekaran said. "Said's portrayal of Hamza is spot-on." Rajiv Chandrasekaran Senior Correspondent and Associate Editor The Washington Post
- "I wanted to say to you a very great heartfelt and personal thank you. I think your performance was really superb, really accurate and thoughtful and truthful and as important, I thought you were a great Ambassador for the film, and a joy to work with from first day to last...So thank you said from the bottom of my heart." - Paul Greengrass.
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