 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Sep 18, 2013 - 9:59 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Morricone
(Member)
|
Here is one of the reviews that struck my fancy:
This movie is a great one on several levels: 1- It depicts the life in Amman Jordan in a very real way: the difference between the poor (eastern) and rich (western) sides of the city very well. The nostalgic aspects of Amman downtown - the roman ruins everywhere, the stairs, the groups of kids running around ... This is one aspect never found in any previous Jordanian movies.
2- The movie has very capable actors - very expressive faces. The kids in the movie are supposedly 1st time actors, gathered from refugee camps in Jordan. That is AMAZING. They truly acted so natural.
3- amazing soundtrack - the music score adds so much to the emotional scenes - yet, it remains transparent. Perfect combination.
4- the story is very nice, global, humanistic, 3rd world concerns (child employment, familial violence, poverty, class segregation, etc.) I think the story could have been better: I wish it had more depth, I wish the problems presented are not so "cliche". Child employment and familial violence are problems that usually 1st world people "project" on 3rd world countries. However, if you ask 3rd world people about it, chances are they are at the bottom of the list. Not because they are not important, but because there are so many other more pressing problems, AND, because they often tend to be symptoms of poverty & ignorance.
I wish the author has picked a problem where right and wrong are actually much harder to decide. The movie seemed a bit long even at 1.5 hours.
Overall, great job director Matalqa. I am looking forward for his future movies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Sep 19, 2013 - 10:59 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Morricone
(Member)
|
Gotta recommend you see this fantastic film debut of director Amin Matalqa tonight! The film would hit the record books just being the first Jordanian movie AND the inclusion of children from refugee camps as the main characters but that alone does not make a good film
Being a filmmaker myself I cut a lot of slack on first time filmmakers because your first film is the one you do most of your learning from (everybody from Kubrick to Hitchcock had shaky starts) . Amin eschews all the problems I had by nailing the one item most great filmmakers proclaim as 90% of the game - casting!
The main character Captain Abu Raed is played by Jordanian actor Nadim Sawalha. I figured I never heard of him because he probably did mostly middle eastern films - wrong! His filmography had quite a few films that maybe you might recognize THE WIND AND THE LION, SYRIANA, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, A TOUCH OF CLASS, THE AWAKENING, GOLD, THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER, SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER, LIONHEART, SPHINX, THE SON OF THE PINK PANTHER, SHAFT IN AFRICA, THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES, THE AVENGERS and many more plus a ton of TV! His first opportunity here to take center stage and he carries the movie even through some iffy moments. Playing a janitor who has been through a lot he appropriately underplays his role as a fantasy airplane pilot and a spinmeister for the local children. Any questions I would have about Abu are answered in his soulful eyes and wry approach to life.
The other standout role is Rana Sultan as Nour a female airline pilot! It took me a while to realize she is a very secondary character because her presence is so strong and she has some memorable and funny scenes. Also standouts are Hussein Al-Sous and Udey Al-Qiddissi as two key children in the piece.
If I had any disappointments it would be the ending, which after discussing it afterwards, can be open to interpretations as to motive and specifics about what Abu does. It tells me there are times when directors should have a clarity in their storytelling.
But that does not take the luster off of this dazzling film debut. And as to Austin's stellar score, let me give you an example of film music at it's finest. Very early on Captain Raed begins to tell the children stories and my cynicism immediately kicked in. Okay I said to myself, this is the hard part, convince ME these stories would mesmerize these children. Lo and behold what happens is, we hear fragments that suggest these stories might be dazzling in a montage and then Austin takes over. He fills in with a fantasmagorical ride that convinces me the stories ARE indeed dazzling. His soaring strings do the storytelling for Abu. THIS is what film music is all about!
So go to the New Beverly tonight at 7 and be regaled by stories of the making of this Sundance Audience Award winning film, as Amin and Austin play off of each other like a vaudeville team. And pick up a free gift IF there are any left. Have a great time!
http://www.newbevcinema.com/
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
