Arranged

Arranged is a beautifully shot and written film that will pull you right into a story that we all hope happens. An Orthodox Jewish woman and a Muslim woman are both teachers who meet and become friends, learning about each other without the fraught biases that so often stop such a natural connection. In this case it's also a sensitive look at marriages often condemned as arranged and overly religious but quite often happening in a positive and consensual way. The film is quite an accomplishment. I saw it at SXSW and the audience was enthralled, teary and ultimately happy - a testament to the power of this film to help cross bridges and wipe away stereotypes.

I saw Arranged at SXSW festival, I was somewhat skeptical of the concept beforehand but was in for a nice surprise. The film is what I'd call a chick-flick, but unfortunately I have admit I really liked it.

I could ramble on about the performances of the actors, but I'd like to talk about structure (my favorite). I'm a fan of innovative films (another reason why I should not have liked this one), but more importantly I'm a fan of films who can enter the mainstream of distribution plainness and still fly high above the "average" arena.

This film differs from the mainstream but still manages to stay in there. And that's why I liked it very much. It brings up important questions about how society labels in terms of religion, it manages to create a heartwarming relationship between girlfriends, the main character goes on a soul searching journey and most importantly the resolution is very well executed (here is where most films just fall into the pit of over-simplifying).

A good good film, surprisingly good, especially for my taste.

A fellow blog reader suggested that I watch "Arranged" (2007). It is a very nice film that I definitely recommend as well.

Arranged is about the friendship between two women- one an Orthodox Jewish school teacher and the other a Muslim one. The acting was very strong and credible and the story absorbing as the womens' relationship develops against all odds. They find similarities in their situations despite great cultural and religious divides and solace in the fact that their parents are trying to arrange marriages for both of them with candidates who as the name implies, they cannot choose.

The actresses who portray Rochel and Nosira are beautiful inside and out and made this film a true pleasure to watch. The ending was uplifting and charming; the movie all around very enjoyable.

My rating: 8 For more reviews please read http://paulinasmovies.blogspot.com

I took a long shot watching this one on demand as recommended to me by the robot at Netflix. This one, unlike some others, was right on. The two main characters are a delight as was, at least for me, having an excursion into two highly alien cultures. Those cultures were Arab Muslim orthodox as well as Jewish Orthodox. The pivot of the movie is simple. There are two elementary school teachers each belonging to one of those communities who form a friendship as each is soon to be subject to an arranged marriage.

Other reviews will clue you in on more if you wish to read more plot-wise. For me, the charm of the movie resides entirely in the depiction of the characters especially the two soon to be married women. I was charmed by the movie and very much so those two friends.

What bothered me about the movie and something I've not seen mentioned is the political correctness evident throughout. The Jews are depicted as narrow minded somewhat brutal or stupid haters of all things either Arab or maybe non-Jew. Meanwhile the Arabs are all mellow high IQ tolerant understanding scholars. Where the Jews threaten and brutalize their daughter, the Arabs are understanding of theirs.

Even the home life reflects this. The Arabs are a loving family while the Jews snipe at each other, whine, terrify the daughter by saying her behavior will kill the father and even includes a consistently nasty little kid.

Perhaps this does reflect the reality of the two cultures. I surely can't say personally speaking, but the contrast did stand out to this reviewer.

That said, I can't recommend the movie enough for its good points, its charm and its general feel goodness.

This is an engaging story that feels very real, and very important in our times when so many walls keep people from connecting with each other. It is so refreshing to have the bigger theme of cultural and religious differences treated with respect and interest, and with an absence of violence. The gradual and delicate building of the friendship between Rochel and Nasira is beautifully portrayed. And the film is funny! You don't have to be Jewish or Muslim to recognize the family dynamics, and you don't need to have attempted an "arranged" relationship to feel right into those first dates. The themes are familiar but never fall into cliché. The writing is crisp and the plot twists keep you wondering what's coming next. The two leads are excellently cast and balance each other without ever pushing for center stage. The directors had a firm sense of pacing -- they trust you to live into the often very beautiful images yourself. The film is permeated with respect -- for the story, for the viewers, for the creativity that clearly lived between the actors, and for the possibilities of real human meeting and understanding.