Le mariage de Rana, un jour ordinaire à Jérusalem

Hany Abu-Assad has proved himself with this film, 'Ford Transit', and 'Paradise Now', to be one of the most interesting and astute chroniclers of the Palestinian experience in Jerusalem.

The plot is simple: A young Palestinian woman must decide whether to defy tradition and marry her boyfriend that day, or leave forever with her father, and enter an arranged marriage in another land.

The film sometimes meanders, but has some very powerful sequences, giving a strong sense of the realities of life under occupation, and some sweetly human comic moments showing the universality of humanity in all cultures.

Very good lead performances all around.

A fair depiction of the hardships under occupation, and the customs of the middle class Muslim Palestinians in Jerusalem. Perhaps because it was filmed in Jerusalem streets under such adversity, this film is a bit amateurish with mismatched music substituting for compelling acting.

I just saw this, and I gave it a 9.

The filming and pace were extremely well done. The story isn't so much suspenseful as stressful, which is a reflection of what the characters are going through. You're unsure you'll be allowed in, you're stuck in line, you can't get in touch, you're being watched, and you have a wedding to attend, a life to live. Palestinians have their friends, and their hopes, and that's it, and this film conveys that very well.

The acting is good, everyone is on the same level, the characters are good under the scrutiny of a camera which takes long stares. The story is not contrived like many may-not-happen wedding films, it continues to move along. There is some humor, but it's the kind of humor you see in everyday life, it's not a comedy.

It's filmed on location Jerusalem and Ramallah, and we see all the elements of everyday life that come over to the US on the news: somber funerals, stones against assault rifles, houses being demolished, cops with itchy trigger fingers, endless lines at military checkpoints, a little poverty, lots of filth, but in a nicely done way, the film isn't very heavy handed about it, it shows it there and moves on, not focusing on the misery, and the atmosphere comes through the characters and their emotions. Rana is upset, even with her fiancee, and you see why someone can be so upset on what she hopes to be the happiest day of her life.

I found this film to be very artistically portrayed. With an increased sense of symbolisms (such as Rana's breakdown in the car, and her plastic bag that she carries everywhere with her), words were not necessary to tell the mood or the meaning of the scene. One of my favorite Arabic movies so far with a fantastic soundtrack. Clara Khoury was a brilliant actress with her sullen mood and meaningful thoughts through the film. In summary, her fathers ultimatum, which gives shape to the whole movie shows the cultural overtones in a traditional Palestinian world. Rana must choose for herself what she wants in life, with or without her fathers blessing. I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and I would rate it a 10/10

This movie starts out a bit artsy, which I found off-putting, but it improved quickly. I found the pace of the movie slightly tedious, but this is necessary to show what Palestinian life is like (waiting hours at check-points to go anywhere is not unusual). Some parts of the movie were slightly confusing for a non-Palestinian audience to follow what was going on. The lead actress who plays Rana was very good. It is not a story about the Israeli occupation, it is a story about Rana, but it does show a lot of what it is like in Israeli occupied Palestine. If you don't mind that it isn't Hollywood, I would recommend this movie purely for the interesting setting.