Tannoura Maxi

I am in love with every single frame of this movie… Just inspiring, just leading to true reflexion… One of its kind in its artistic and esthetic's choices.. Poetry from the beginning till the end, with a new way of interpretation that no other Lebanese Director had the courage to do it this way.

From The opening scene, which begins with a bucket of water and ends with the house, we can feel an opening to an antique village, a heritage, a country, to Lebanon. This house of the past is revisited by actors that become characters; aliens that morph into the skin of those most familiar. This space becomes, throughout the film, a place of meeting; meeting with the past; meeting of the real with the imaginary.

The child during the film creates a kind of brackets. He concludes a life cycle: we return to the same space that of which we came out of, but certainly with modification, with change. The final jump the child takes sends him to new territories, towards a new discovery, a new infinity, a new virtual imaginary space, a new film. Memory reaps nothing but the harvest of interference. One throws himself into the past, tries to imagine his future, and creates a present that one overlooks relentlessly. The film that doesn't lack traveling in, makes absence to traveling back, except for two critical moments: the opening scene and the end shot. At the beginning, when the camera starts backing out from the close up of the mother, it reveals the entire scene of Childbirth, bringing all the characters close around, one next to the other, until the baby's delivery. The camera here draws the path of the newborn's journey to the outside world. The child comes out and is liberated; the camera also moves away to better simulate the situation. It is liberated from the real story and becomes the camera that will weave just as a sewing machine would, its own film.

The controversial issues that this movie talked about is so deep and true to a point it really frustrated some parts of closed societies who ask for censorship…

I give all my respect to this piece of art.

Amazing scenery of Love in contemporary Cinema… I had a lot of expectation for this film but when I saw it, my expectation was much lower then the power of this controversial movie… Some adored it, some other had their personnel opposite point of view, but for my side I never felt taken by an Arab movie as much as I was taken by "Tannoura Maxi"…

From the first image, the actress captivated me… she exhorted her inner demons and hooked me... She delivers from her insides, water, blood, and a living creature.

A woman who continues to capture attention, to capture us as a shutter would in a dark room, in his world of demon women, and innocent girls. She comes from the outside world, and penetrates the village, taking away the community's virginity. A little refugee girl becomes the refuge of a man, about to undertake in a mission of life. She comes as a matador to prove herself and bear out her passion. Never lacking Red, she will mark the stones, soil the village, and invade the monasteries. She will transform the cassock into a Maxi skirt. She will fall madly in love, and will drown in a revolted sea of agitated waves. Silently, she will deploy her charm, and will function through her emotions. She becomes unveiled when facing love, and her fragility suddenly becomes manipulative.

A Film that's much more like a moving modern art, and a moving Romanesque painting… Watching it several times is a must to get lost in each of it's wonderful shades...

I have just watched Tannoura Maxi, All I have to say is Wow! Coming from a MIddle Eastern background myself I have deeply been touched by this movie. The storyline, is realistic as can be, I felt like I was living every moment. From beginning to end I was captured, the scenery was excellent,I loved the vivid sets that hold true to Lebanon's beauty, the characters, the sublime humor and of course who can forget the unforgettable Love story in between the two main characters!

This movie holds true to its roots and storyline, it is a must watch for anyone who is from the middle east or anywhere in the world! If you are interested in viewing a truly organic love story, this is the movie for you!

Love!

Choosing to see Tannoura Maxi is one of the easiest choices there is to make, if you are as crazy as I am about Visual Storytelling.

Nowadays, there is so much emphasis on verbal communication in modern cinema; the audience has lost their ability to indulge in beautiful visual communication, where the story unfolds in front of your eyes rather than inside your ears.

There is much to say about the well composed film that takes a rather daring step towards projecting the essence of chemistry, and love between two people.

The film explores the undying tension, the untamed desire, and the seduction that draws from lust, in a time of war, pain, and grief.

It was quite a surprise going inside every character's persona in that personal way, where the audience feels much like a trespasser inside a person's head, hearing about their inmost flaws, wants, and needs. It elevates the movie into becoming somewhat of a private diary, unveiling itself slowly as the movie gradually comes to an end; where you finally find yourself relating towards this character rather than that, or the other rather than this; that's how personal it gets.

The music was as beautiful as the breathtaking images that resemble hand drawn memories.

The sound design was well crafted, and the era which the film took place was loyal to what it represents.

All and All, I'd say the movie sends me off to two places. One, it certainly takes me to a place of warmth, love, and struggle. Two, it takes me into the deviated mind of a curious little boy, who had the love to make some of the images inside his head for the public to see.

And my mom always wore heals too, even when going to get water from the well.

Poor story-line, poor scenario, poor performances.

The movie is full of eye-candy. Very little else, except quick-wins like the Rayovac commercial, the traditional dough-making scene, etc, obviously added in to trigger nostalgia without having any real role. Close-ups of the main characters and colorful scenic shots, despite their beauty, are excessive and quickly turn into a nuisance - a failed attempt to overshadow the lack of substance in the movie.

The love story fails to come across as genuine - as the rest of this movie.

Generally, presumptuous and a waste of time!