Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

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.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This is a cinema verité, low key video documentary on Oliver Stone not getting an audition with Jassir Arafat, and interviewing a bunch of other guys (mostly top Israeli politicians including Ehud Barak, Shimon Peres and Benjamin Netanjahu, but also three al-Aqsa "martyrs") instead. It makes for interesting viewing, and conveys a good idea of the everyday squalor the Palestinians are living in, the haughtiness of the Fatah government, and the sheer complexity of the situation.This was recorded only a few years ago, but it already feels almost nostalgic, with Arafat's familiar ugly face and concrete rhetoric, suicide bombings and war in the streets of Ramallah. The olden days and their simpler ways, I guess. The current war against in Gaza seems a lot nastier by comparison. Nothing ever seems to change for the better in that region.I think Oliver Stone's approach is a little too naive, and I hated all those art students constantly shoving their cameras into the faces of their interviewees. I also would have liked to see more of the common people and the political "middle management" rather than the celebrity talking heads. But it's still interesting viewing because it catches a rarely seen glimpse of the day-to-day life in Palestine.

I have spent a year abroad in Israel..traveling..studying..etc. I've had many conversations with Israeli soldiers and those on the verge of service. They aren't scared. As much as the media makes you think so, Israel is not a "war zone." It is a peaceful place. Yes, more bombs go off in this country than many others in our world today, however, everyday life here is pretty normal. I have been here for 8 months or so, and I have never been scared. This country is SAFE. It's going to be a culture shock going back home and not having to open my purse when going into the mall. This conflict is one of those vicious cycles that never ends unless one side concedes to the other. I couldn't be sure on this, but I don't see this conflict getting resolved in my lifetime and I'm 19. It's a damn shame, but Israelis are getting by. I think this film, however I haven't seen it in a while, is good. I don't think it necessarily shows what's really going on in Israeli society. Time to go, enjoy. Yom Tov.

One of the other comments here called Oliver Stone a "self proclaimed messiah". He is nothing of the sort. He is one of the rare Americans who's taking it upon himself to try and educate an ungrateful domestic audience about what's going on in the world, and giving the American people a more nuanced picture of the facts than they are accustomed to from their usual media.The thanks he gets is to have his documentaries banned, because the ruling elite of America doesn't want an enlightened public. The fact that the U.S. authorities consider Stone's well-balanced, truth-revealing work to be dangerous, ought to make a lot of people stand up and take notice.10 out of 10.

It seems to me that quite a few USA citizens might be looking this documentary the wrong way. In this documentary we get the latest of the Palestinian conflict, we get both side of the story.Oliver Stone is constantly pressing on the politics and terrorists, he wants to get answers and hopefully get the conflict solved. But there is also a feeling of invasion from the camera operators, going around in the background, the unstable camera movements and violent edition. This is a style associated both to Oliver Stone and the MTV generation, but it's not gratuitous, this invasion is the only real invasion.Oliver Stone surrounds himself with young people, and he is in a way making a movie of them, their reactions to the conflict. He wants them to look at what their country is doing. He also wants the viewer to be conscious of his presence in this movie, we are this invading eye, we are this Persona Non Grata.