notthemarimba: Auntie Val from League of Gentlemen (Default)
[personal profile] notthemarimba
I have decided that this summer, I am going to watch a bunch of movies with Hiam Abbass in them. (Not all of them, alas. She has a staggeringly long filmography). 
Why?

1) because she's freaking fabulous

2) because every movie I've seen with her in it has been good

3) because (with her Arabic-language stuff, at least) I can justify this as "practicing my Arabic"

4) because I can.

watched so far:
Paradise Now (2005)
Paradise Now is the story of two Palestinian men planning a suicide bomb attack. I first watched this as part of an assignment for Arabic class, but rewatched it again last week as part of what I will now somewhat facetiously abbreviate as HAFF. It's just as heartbreaking and nuanced and perfect the second time around. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it highly. Obviously, it's a rather sad and serious film, although it does have its lighter moments. Abbass plays the mother of one of the main characters. 

The Lemon Tree (2008)
Abbass plays a Palestinian widow whose lemon grove is threatened by the nearby construction of a house for an Israeli defense minister and his wife. It's a solid film, and Abbass's performance carries it.

The Syrian Bride (2004)
In this film, Abbass plays the sister of a woman in Golan Heights, Israel on her wedding day. The sister in question attempts to cross the border into Syria to get married, the process of which is complicated by her father's troubled political status and her brother being ostracized by the local community. One of the more interesting parts of the film is that the family (and larger community) in The Syrian Bride is Druze  The movie does drag a bit in the middle, but I would still recommend it.

to watch:
Miral (2010) (I wanted to see it when it was at the theater here, but it somehow bypassed me)

The Source (2011)

Amreeka (2009)

Red Satin (2002) 

Haifa (1996)

Everyday is a Holiday (2009)

Pomegranates and Myrrh (2008)

Munich (2005)

Free Zone (2005) 

Nadia et Sarra (2004)

Bab El Shams (2004) 

Dawn of the World (2008)

The Visitor (2008) 

Date: 2011-06-04 03:13 am (UTC)
wrabbit: (stock: colloquial)
From: [personal profile] wrabbit
I've seen Amreeka and The Visitor.

Date: 2011-06-04 04:50 am (UTC)
wrabbit: (bb: bang bang)
From: [personal profile] wrabbit
Umm, it's okay. Saw it at Broadway. I like the main character. There's a lot of sympathetic embarrassment/culture clash scenarios. I watched a few minutes to remind myself of it earlier and the son was annoying.

The Visitor is, well, it was also okay. It's very "bourgie white guy is enriched by his friendship with underprivileged POC meanwhile unjust things happen to them, bourgie white guy stays bourgie only more enriched."

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notthemarimba: Auntie Val from League of Gentlemen (Default)
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