I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Film Review: "Paradise Now" (2005)This important independent film presented by already-vanished Warner Bros. Pictures' affiliate Warner Independent Pictures directed by Hany Abu Assad, recently-received international-coverage with survival-drama "The Mountain Between Us" starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, takes on the civil terror issues of a remaining melting pot on the Gaza Strip between Hebrew-embedded Israelis and Muslim-religion-indulging Palestinians, here portrayed as family-loving men of action with nevertheless the controversy ongoing mind-set for retaliation, which lets "Paradise Now" stand-out in the ground, who brings the audience near to the inner-conflict in inherited-poisoned hearts of two young men get recruited to take the bus into Israel's major city Tel-Aviv with C4-bombs strapped around their hips, when director Hany Abu Assad, Isreali in his own right, avoids any scene of action nor a single gun-shot to share a super-suspense thriller-drama on the "war-on-terror" between Israel and Palestine, which delivers in engaging scenes of human conflict in a tight image system on how to deal with brainwashed people surrounded by suicide missions, when a sub-plotting sacrifice of a newly-found love between man and woman lingers all through the picture, delicately and minimalistic-shot incorporating ultra-slow dolly push-ins onto intriguing character portrayals by cinematographer Antoine Héberlé to a highly recommended revisit viewing since a world-premiere at Berlin Film Festival in February 2005.© 2018 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

So, I thought this movie was great for the most part. I thought it looked at a very edgy topic that is not talked about all too often and I thought it brought an interesting point of view for western viewers such as Americans and Europeans. I also thought it was cool that the movie tried its best to stay accurate and serious but at the same time still had a few funny moments here and there. The one thing that bothers me though is that it seems to be one sided, though the director says he was keeping an open view on this topic, I just feel we didn't get the whole background of it. I know a lot of people will not like that I feel this way but the movie , in my personal opinion, seemed to be promoting terrorism more than a "freedom fighter" movement. This just really got on my nerves a little bit and I understand nationalism, but I feel that what the Palestinians are doing is more of a terrorist act than a revolutionary act. With that being said though, I still thought the movie was good and interesting, it kept the viewer on the edge of their seats and kept them wanting more. I would totally recommend this to a friend if they were looking for a movie of this genre. 8/10

Overall, I thought this movie was good. It showed the border conflict in Israel, and how they are some Palestinians who live in the Israeli territories are not content with their life styles, and therefore some intend to get into Israel and terrorize innocent people. This movie was about two Palestinian friends Said and Khaled who are recruited into a terrorist organization, and are ordered to become suicide bombers in Tel Aviv. Said and Khaled stayed together throughout their mission, but once they got pass the border guards and were in Tel Aviv, Khaled reconsidered his mission, and his thought was that both him and Said would give up the mission and return to where they were, but once Khaled was in the car Said stayed behind and decided to go on with the mission.Khaled knew that Said and him would die if they did bomb Tel Aviv, that's why he wanted to leave, but this did not convince Said. I liked this movie, because everything was explained, but while watching this movie you do not know what happens to Khaled when he returns without completing the mission. I think if they added that in the film it would have been better, but I did like how everything made sense, that's why I would give this film a 4/5.

Incredibly powerful and intricately detailed, highly acclaimed and widely controversial. "Paradise Now," is a compelling, tightly made thriller set in Nablus, on the West Bank, and lays bare the humanity and the horror for all to see. The film provides a gripping and terrifying insight into the mindset of martyrs by turning the camera on two Palestinian suicide bombers during what they assume to be their final 48 hours. The story places two close friends, Said (Kais Nashif) and Khaled (Kais Nashif), recruits by an extremist group to perpetrate a terrorist attack, a suicide mission, in Tel-Aviv. Both men are bathed, shaved, and made to look like Israeli settlers; then they are then strapped with explosives, dressed in dark suits, and are off to carry out their orders. However, things go wrong and both friends must separate at the Palestine border. One of two will maintain in his purpose of carrying out the attack to the very end, and the other will begin to have his doubts. Despite condoning their actions and motives, you can't but help to watch the film with a fearsome fascination. The film sustains a mood of breathless suspense. "Paradise Now" is a thriller whose shrewdly inserted plot twists and emotional wrinkles are calculated to put your heart in your throat and keep it there. The movie humanizes the anonymous faces we often see in the news. The director and co-writer, Hany Abu- Assad, undercut any heroism of these young martyrs by presenting their everyday actions with moments of dark humor. During one taping of a farewell message, the video camera malfunctions half way through, and he must start over from the beginning. During another taping, one of the bombers interrupts his political sermon with a personal shopping reminder for his mother. The ending is gut-wrenching as it yanks the carpet from under your feet. A purposeful statement that strips away any glamour of terrorism, whatever the cause, reason, or rationale they use to justify it. Their inhuman mission aside, "Paradise Now" does compel an appreciation for these unfortunate young men blindly accepting their fate with empty promises. This is the first Palestinian film to be nominated for an Academy Award.