L'insulte

The Insult is the definition of a great cinematic achievement. It is the new movie directed by Ziad Doueiri and tells the story of Toni a Christian Lebanese who got into a fight from an insult blown out with a Palestinian plumber. Haunted by their past and the civil war, they went really far with it and the movie took unexpected turns and surprises. Doueiri and Touma wrote a splendid courtroom drama script that is really tense, exciting and really fair for the two sides. It reminded me of the great Sidney Lumet movies with a touch of political background. That film has great characters rich with backup stories and it wouldn't be great without the marvelous cast. Each actors gave an Oscar worthy performance. Thumbs up for Karam, Hayek and Diamand Bou Abboud. I must give credits to Camille Salemeh because he led the show for sure! Doueiri worked hard on letting the actors give their best for the characters. Cinematography and score were also on a high level here! Doueiri is a superb director. His debut West Beirut has always been every Lebanese's favorite. The Insult was competing in Venice (It won best actor for Kamel Basha and had a 5 minutes standing ovation), Telluride, TIFF and it the official submission for Lebanon at the Oscars for best foreign language movie. Daring, bold and smart, this movie is big step forward for the Lebanese cinema.

THE INSULT- 90% I was quite annoyed as i wanted to be the first Lebanese filmmaker to have an Oscar nomination but this movie is very well deserved for its nomination. The story and the way it was structured was absolutely perfect. The main two actors were very impressive which balanced other weaker actors. The cinematography is basic but effective. Adel Karam is quite the actor. The conflict in the story is very intriguing and Raw. I am so glad that a Lebanese movie was finally showcased in the world and I only dream of more to come. The history of Lebanon is so diverse and emotional that I am surprised that there aren't at least 40 movies related to all the conflicts lebanon had to withstand. The character development was shown in simple glimpses of certain situations. I was also happy that the director Ziad was not biased towards a certain character but was enriching and compassionate with both of them. The message in this movie is what was so astounding: "Despite out experience, ego, and pride, we are all in this together." A must see. Story wise and execution: 35/35 Acting: 21.6/25 Camera Work: 16.8/20 Sound: 16.1/20

The movie is set in Lebanon, and based on real Lebanese problems. However, the setting could be in another country, another time, with two other groups that hate each other. It is about the universal problem of wrath and resentment boiling over. The movie is well done, with some unnecessary dramatic flourishes - the story is dramatic enough in itself and didn't need these additional items (Don't wish to say what exactly in order not to have any spoilers). In any case it deserves its Oscar nomination.

What a tour-de-force! What a triumph! What a masterpiece! I haven't seen such a powerful movie in years. This is the kind of movie you come across so very rarely, that shakes you to your very core, makes the art of cinema worthwhile and reminds you why you fell in love with the motion picture in the first place.

The poster for The Insult, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, doesn't quite do the product justice. It makes the film look like a simple tragic drama; in fact The Insult builds on its intriguing premise of a simple insult escalating, and balances feelings of remorse, tensions and even comedy and absurdity in a brisk tone and style. A film where the prosecutor and defense are father and daughter, and the shock reveal, is a film that isn't totally taking itself seriously. But it reflects on very serious wounds in the past and the lack of reconciliation after, a followup to a tragic story previously depicted in an earlier Oscar nominee Incendies. But Incendies was Canadian and The Insult is actually Lebanese, the first Lebanese film to be nominated, and it speaks in a national voice.

With only some minor violence, The Insult's story largely escalates in the courtroom, and anyone interested in courtroom films will find this great material. I had to stop myself from saying "courtroom drama," because again, it's not only that. The absurdities provoke laughs, the drama provokes thought, and The Insult has something for everybody, even people who know little about Lebanon (The film itself explains much of the gaps in knowledge for the viewer).