Captain Abu Raed

I went to see this movie at the Dubai Film Festival as a guest of the Directors brother. I didn't believe I would enjoy the film as it is in Arabic with English subtitles!! However, I can honestly say it is one of the most beautiful and moving films I have ever seen. I laughed and I cried and I held my breath in anticipation. I left the movie theater feeling absolutely blown away by the whole experience of Captain Abu Raed.

The children are fantastic actors especially when you consider they are refugees who Amin worked closely with.

This movie really touched my heart and I am counting down until it hits the cinemas here in the UAE so I can see it again and with my friends.

Congratulations to everyone involved.

I went to see the film just out of curiosity. I was in for a surprise - a rather pleasant one. This is a great movie from many a viewpoint. The actors, the subject, the photography, the editing and the atmosphere. Looking at it as the first Jordanian feature film (even though many of those who worked on it are not Jordanian) I find it truly great. Looking at it globally, as an international film, I still find it well above average - much better anyway than many low grade Hollywood movies. I only have two regrets. The film would have had an even greater impact if it was some 20 or 25 minutes shorter. The music: although beautiful, well interpreted and recorded, it does not seem very appropriate for such an intimate film; by moments at least. It seems to have been composed for some kind of huge, mega production the likes of Gladiator or Troy and such. Other than that it is, again, a very fine movie and I truly enjoyed it.

With a little more attention to avoiding idealistic romanticism (without losing smiling atmosphere of the drama) and with a more intense scenario, this movie could certainly be a masterpiece. Nevertheless, it's not an unsuccesful movie. It presents a stronge panoramic feeling on viewing eastern societies' humanistic values in daily life without exagerrating and shoots adverse instances, as well. --- Everyone should meet Captain Abu Raed, the old wise man and should attend his storytelling dreams.

I had the privilege of seeing Captain Abu Raed at Ohio State (Matalqa's alma mater) with the director present. It was moving to hear the stories of the children actors and their struggles thus far in life. Matalqa also commented about how religion and terror and anything else you usually associate with the middle east is absent in this movie, which is one of the first reactions I got by the end of the movie. It's nice to see a movie not trying to plug in some political statement where it's not needed.

Captain Abu Raed had a great premise, with an aging janitor pretending to be a pilot and telling neighborhood kids about his "grand adventures." The cinematography was wonderful, and the music added emotional depth. The acting was convincing overall, with the leads impressively not being too impressive (they acted like ordinary people). My biggest complaint is the pacing. It felt like there were two halves of the movie that were completely different from each other, like the second half was almost a sequel to the first. This gave the movie a somewhat uneven feeling, but overall I'd say it didn't substantially take away from the finished product. There were some subplots that I would've liked further developed, but that would probably have added to the unevenness.

Overall, a good first film, maybe a few steps from greatness, and I look forward to Amin Matalqa's future endeavors.

I saw this movie at Sundance 2008 and was thrilled to learn that it was showing at the AFI Film Festival in Dallas. I didn't hesitate for a second to buy a 2nd ticket! Once it's released in theaters, I'll be purchasing my third ticket and insisting that my friends attend with me. We were lucky enough to hear the director speak at both showings which added so much to the experience. Learning that most of the children were cast from children who were living in a refugee camp was quite surprising. The performances of the children were first rate. Nadim Sawalha who played Captain Abu Raed was outstanding as well. In addition, the backdrop for the movie - Amman - was magical. This movie is a must see!