Captain Abu Raed

This is a film that anyone who has known an old Arab man can not help but love. The rest of humanity will be starting at a disadvantage, but love is still a very distinct possibility. At the same time, if all you look for in a film is lighting and other composition relate things you still will be pleased. It is not flawless, but the sublime moments overpower any fault finding reflexes in me. This film actually bridges and melds together Arab and Western film. Something that the various subcultures of the Arab World have already done to varying degrees in their real lives, but for some reason (pick your own) the arts have lagged behind. The good, bad and ugly were all shown true to life; which isn't the norm in the conservative world of Arabic language film. At the same time the film overflowed with that charm and generosity that is so central in Arab culture. I am an American with Arab roots, which might play a part in my great affection for this film; it might only be really good instead of really really good. Oh my! I almost forgot Rana Sultan, which would have been almost sinful. Every once in a while there is that character in a film (and in real life too) that just dazzles with charm and beauty (Audrey Hepburn and Virginia Madsen are two others that jump to my mind). Her vivacious, powerful, and stunning character filled the screen. It's always nice to fall in love, even if it is only for 102 minutes.

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 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.

This movie is a great one on several levels: 1- It depicts the life in Amman Jordan in a very real way: the difference between the poor (eastern) and rich (western) sides of the city very well. The nostalgic aspects of Amman downtown - the roman ruins everywhere, the stairs, the groups of kids running around ... This is one aspect never found in any previous Jordanian movies.

2- The movie has very capable actors - very expressive faces. The kids in the movie are supposedly 1st time actors, gathered from refugee camps in Jordan. That is AMAZING. They truly acted so natural.

3- amazing soundtrack - the music score adds so much to the emotional scenes - yet, it remains transparent. Perfect combination.

4- the story is very nice, global, humanistic, 3rd world concerns (child employment, familial violence, poverty, class segregation, etc.) I think the story could have been better: I wish it had more depth, I wish the problems presented are not so "cliche". Child employment and familial violence are problems that usually 1st world people "project" on 3rd world countries. However, if you ask 3rd world people about it, chances are they are at the bottom of the list. Not because they are not important, but because there are so many other more pressing problems, AND, because they often tend to be symptoms of poverty & ignorance.

I wish the author has picked a problem where right and wrong are actually much harder to decide. The movie seemed a bit long even at 1.5 hours.

I also wish the movie got faster.. the introduction, and I would say the first 60 minutes of the movie were perfect. The director was preparing the stage for the plot very nicely. However, after 60 minutes, one would expect the movie to pick up speed and not remain very "dreamy" like. The plot came very quickly.

Overall, great job director Matalqa. I am looking forward for his future movies.

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.