Izzat

This movie has it all, a good realistic story, good directing and a very good screenplay. Unfortunately, the acting is sometimes terrible. The main character, Wasim, is not this years Oscar's favorite. A couple of the other actors is also bad. This movie would have been av "section" 8, without any doubt, if it wasn't for the bad acting. The soundtrack is also superb with bands like Kjøtt and Raga Rockers. The violence is also portrayed quite realistic and without to much blood. Honour is an important theme in the name and as the title says in norway, "Livet er en æresak" Translated, "Life is matter of honour" The movie contains several humoristic scenes which fits the film nicely. Kurt, Arendal, Norway.

After watching this movie, I just thought "what a movie!".

Well - Norwegian directors hasn't been the greatest and cleverest action-movie makers like Spielberg, Roland Emmerich and Peter Jackson. Every time a director tried, the movie failed.

But in 2005, the fresh director Ulrik Imtiaz Rolfsen took, with his movie, a little step for a man but a big step for Movie-Norway.

The actors (Emil Marwa, Elyas Mohammed, et cetera) performs very well in the film. Everything feel so real, so intense.

We meet three Pakistani-Norwegian boys in Oslo, 1984, named Wasim, Riaz and Munawar. Those boys gets involved with the East Side Crew gang. First, there is small jobs like thieving and things like that - after ten years, they become dangerous, hard armed and drug-dealing gangsters.

Applause to Rolfsen and his cast!

The word Izzat means 'respect' in Urdu. In a way the movie was all about gaining respect in society. Unfortunately many people enter in to a one way street to get their place in society. A street where there is no turning back...ever! This movie is about 3 boys who were disappointed with poor state of their migrant Pakistani families and the fact that very few Pakistani were enjoying real respect in Norwegian society at that time. One day they come across to a drug gang run by a very ruthless Pakistani 'Sadiq'. They grow up with the gang doing small jobs for them and ultimately becoming the core members of the gang. The main character of the movie Wasim comes across many ugly situations which were all due to his involvement with the gang. That includes shooting his best childhood friend, seeing his sister being raped by his enemies and trying to pay off his younger brother gambling debt. I don't want to spoil the movie for others by telling a lot but this movie does succeeds in gripping it's viewers with it's realistic yet ugly events in underworld crimes. You will almost wish for Wasim to somehow get out of the whole thing.

I will agree with one of the reviewers that acting might have been better in the movie. The Urdu acting was not fantastic either. But the movie still managed to grip me with its strong plot and realistic events. I will certainly recommend this movie for people who like gangster type movie with underworld background.

Izzat may be the very first movie from Norway which can be classified as a good movie, not just a "good-to-be-Norwegians"-movie.

Izzat paints an image of Oslo, Norways capital, and its crime-environment in the mid-90's. We follow Wasim and his involvement in Westside Crew, the Pakistanian crime-gang.

What makes this movie extra special, is the realness of it all. Several Pakistanis which are familiar with the crime and the gangs in Oslo, say that the movie is extremely real, with the exception of a few details.

Unfortunately, Izzat has got a few problems with the acting. Both of Wasims friends, and his sister, suffers from bad acting.

The soundtrack however, is outstanding. Typical rock music from the mid-90's, and even better, several Norwegian bands! All in all, if you speak Norwegians, or if this movie is dubbed into English sometime, absolutely one of THE films this year.

The fact that people have not learned that they can not see a Norwegian movie with high expectations is incredible. If you come expecting something good, or great, you should go for a different movie. That said.

As for the acting; there was little to no passion shown by the actors. This however portrays well the environment the "gangsters" come from as well as pre-dating the show from todays date. Poor acting, but it worked in a very weird way.

The retro view on things was quite nice and it really made the experience of the movie into something that I enjoyed.

The story is simple. Gangster, drugs and killing. During most of the film I was having flashbacks from "Menace II Society".

All in all, it felt like reproduction of most gangster movies, put into a new cultural setting and downsizing the actors and cinematography. Decent movie, not great, but over my expectations.