Omar

Though it has it's occasional flaws (some overstatement) this is generally a terrific political thriller.

A young Palestinian radical is put through the emotional, moral and physical wringer after being blackmailed into becoming an informer (or at least professing to) for the Israelis, following an arrest that could put him in jail for life. While Abu-Assad's sympathies clearly lie with the Palestinians, his characters and situations are much more complex and human than good guys and bad guys. He sees the damage that being in a constant state of war and occupation does to both sides.

Beyond that, this is not a 'political' film first. It's complex web of betrayal, love, fear, bravery, and paranoia could be anywhere two sides are facing off in a morally and politically complex situation, especially where one side is a guerrilla uprising, the other an established government. It could be Ireland and the IRA, or South Africa in the more militant days of the ANC. The beauty and terror of Abu-Assad's film is that it's about people not ideology. And the reality that people on both sides are capable of great good and great evil, often for reasons personal as much as political. I happened to see this within days of the also critically acclaimed "Bethlehem" which tells a remarkably similar tale, but from an Israeli point of view. Seeing both heightened the power of each -- for where they overlapped and where they differed. I'd recommend seeing both to anyone interested in good, human thrillers and who is interested in examining the middle east conflict in more than simple 'right and wrong' terms.

"Omar" is so topical in content and authentic in form that it feels as though it had been ripped straight from the morning's headlines. This Oscar-nominated Palestinian film may not be as "fair and balanced" in its depiction of the seemingly endless and intractable Mid East conflict as some might wish it to be, but, like all good social dramas, the movie is far more concerned with exploring the human condition than with scoring political points.

Omar (Adam Bakri) is a young Palestinian baker who, at great risk to himself, regularly scales the massive wall that runs through occupied Palestine to hang out with his friends, Tarek (Iyad Hoorani) and Amjad (Samer Bisharat), and to carry on a secret romance with his girlfriend, Nadia (Leem Lubany), who also happens to be Tarek's sister. The three young men are also active as "freedom fighters," dedicated to liberating their people from Israeli control. After Amjad shoots and kills an Israeli soldier, Omar is arrested and coerced into becoming a spy in exchange for his freedom. Against this backdrop of simmering social and ethnic unrest, the bonds of friendship are tested in ways that will surprise and move you.

Though the geographic, sectarian and boundary issues could be a bit more clearly defined for audiences less familiar with the area, the screenplay by Hany Abu-Assad finds its truth in its portrayal of what day-to-day life is like for the ordinary people who call that part of the world home. Omar and his buddies may be passionately partisan about their cause, but that doesn't mean they aren't complex, three- dimensional characters in their own right. For underneath all the outward bravado and righteous bluster, they are still just "boys" after all, with all the interests and concerns that all young men have who are embarking on this journey we call life - a journey made all the more arduous and challenging by the world in which they live.

Assad's direction is taut when it needs to be (particularly in the striking foot chases through the narrow streets and alleyways of the prison-like city) and observant and patient when that is what is called for.

All the actors are excellent, but special mention must be made of young Bakri, who, as the title character, runs the emotional gamut from explosive to sheepish without missing a beat, his sly, toothy grin standing in direct counterpoint to his steely gaze and serious mien. It is Bakri who largely cuts through the polemics and who makes the story one to which all of us can relate. Well worth seeing.

I saw this film at the Ghent (Belgium) film festival 2013. I usually avoid films involving the Israel versus Palestine controversy, but this one looked different while reading the synopsis on the festival website. Central theme is the relationships between people on both sides of the fence, be it family, lovers, friends or schoolmates. The separation fence (border wall) was announced to play a visible role in the plot, a literally high obstacle to be crossed to maintain contact. Also, this film is completely produced at (and financed from) the Palestinian side of the border, something that does not happen very often, awaking interest in spite of the location.

Some negative remarks first. I had problems identifying myself with the main characters and their customs, where flirting, courting, proposing, engaging, and finally getting married seems a convoluted process. At least that is what we think when seeing it through our Western European eyes, where this works very differently. And such things are even more complicated in the middle of the conflict between Palestine and Israel. A very visible role in the plot has a huge wall that we see several times being crossed illegally, as an obstacle to surmount when visiting a woman you love on the other side. After reading the synopsis on the festival website, I deemed this wall a metaphorical role at first, but the underlying political conflict creeps in more and more when getting further in the story.

But there are also many positive things to say about the movie. These film makers get across perfectly, maybe precisely that being their most important achievement, how difficult it is to know for sure in such an environment who can be trusted. Who is on your side, and who is not? Everyone can be a traitor, either because of religious beliefs, bad experiences, blackmail, family secrets, physical pressure, or while relatives or loved ones are held hostage. Given these examples, one may state that not even someone you know from childhood, can be considered full-proof trustworthy material. And what about someone who was imprisoned for a while, but released seemingly before he did the allotted time behind bars? How can you prove you are not a mole, when everyone assumes otherwise??

All in all, as a finished feature film coming from a country we don't recognize as producing films that are worthy to be programmed in a film festival, this one certainly is notable and shows a promising future for these film makers. As of this writing, the film made a good head start for the audience award (2nd place, average score 4.43 out of 5). I deduce that my feeling of remote involvement tells more about me than about the film itself. But anyway, see for yourself as it may provide for some more insight in the underlying political and religious conflicts that seem unsolvable within the foreseeable future.

In places like the West Bank truth is the first casualty. This fictional tale takes real life tensions and offers very believable characters to make that point.

The 3 friends (Omar, Tarek & Amjad) plus the sister Nadia are constantly kept off balance by the political tensions that come from living in Palestine.

The director manages to add just enough warmth and naturalness to the various story loops to keep us on side with the lead characters.

The Israeli lead protagonist (Rami) has clearly read Machievelli's the Prince. He uses half truth, insinuation and educated guesses to rattle Omar and his friends.

Just when you think you know what is going to happen it all changes. This is a great movie. I saw it at a film festival but I hope it goes on to wider release.

To start with, I want to admit that I might be biased, as this movie is a local movie, with local actors, and local financing. Therefore, my review could be affected by what is so called local patriotism.

Nevertheless, I think that this movie is the best movie that I've watched in a long while. This movie tells the story of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict from the Palestinian point of view in a way that no movie did before. Yet, this movie could apply to any weak side that is living under oppression, anywhere on earth, such that everyone that has a heart can empathize with the oppressed, that is symbolized by the hero Omar. In addition, this movie contains numerous elements that one looks for in a movie: it has action scenes, dramatic events of betrayal and honesty, a pure and naive love story, friendship, funny scenes, and above all, it makes the audience ask questions and think.

To conclude, this movie is a must watch as it tells a story in a moving manner (some people even cried at the end..). In addition, by watching it you'll be supporting the uprising of the Palestinian movie scene, that has many great talents.