Arabic | Scott's Film Reviews-1,425 + Reviews posted so far!!!

5 Broken Cameras-2012

Director Emad Burnat, Guy Davida

Starring Emad Burnat

Scott’s Review #452

Reviewed July 22, 2016

Grade: B-

5 Broken Cameras is a 2012 documentary spoken in the Arabic language, which received critical acclaim upon release and heaps of award nominations.

A documentary about a Palestinian farmer, Emad Burnat who recounts Israeli soldiers overtaking his land for several years, it became a Best Documentary Oscar nominee.

Non-political in his life, Emad is threatened as the Israelis build a wall through his land, which he refuses to part with.

As important as the subject matter is, it never really captured my attention and I found it to drag a bit, which pains me to say because I was hoping to be really into it, given the topic.

This could simply be my opinion since it is a critically acclaimed piece.

I would have voted in the far superior Invisible War, from the same year, for Oscar glory.

Oscar Nominations: Best Documentary-Feature

Omar-2013

Director Hany Abu-Assad

Starring Adam Bakri, Eyad Hourani

Scott’s Review #132

Reviewed July 24, 2014

Grade: B

Omar is a 2013 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee.

Omar tells the story of a young Palestinian man living in the political unrest of Israel, personally conflicted, and a freedom fighter, sympathetic to the other side.

He is in love with a young girl whose brother is a leader in the freedom fight and their romance eventually becomes a love triangle.

Once Omar is arrested on suspicion of murdering a soldier, a series of events take place that makes the audience wonder what side of the fence he is on and who his allegiance lies with.

The film starts slowly and has too much emphasis on the romantic story- seemingly endless scenes of Omar and Nadia professing their love and passing notes to each other.

The film seems to know not what it wants to be a political thriller or a romance film. Approximately, thirty minutes into the film it kicks into high gear as the arrest and the political cat-and-mouse aspects come to the forefront.

The ending of the film is unexpected and rather excellent.

At times, though, the story is a bit unrealistic and implausible, especially in some prison scenes. Would a Palestinian traitor be given a second chance and not killed instantly? Would the prisoner and interrogator become friends?

Certain aspects of the film seemed plot-driven and too convenient to be realistic, but I was enraptured with the story overall, minus the romance, which seemed overextended and sappy.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film