just watch it!

Charming and brutal

An Exercise In Nonsense

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Oh my god, I truly hope this thing was not paid for by tax payers, namely the National Endowment for the Arts.When independent filmmakers go out of there way to make a non-Hollywood movie, they wind up making a disaster. This is a disaster.I saw this mess on the Sundance channel presented by Robert Redford. Apparently, old man Redford thought this movie was good enough to present himself. Poor misbegotten soul.They describe this movie as a: "Manhattan artist Asya (Elodie Bouchez) suspects that her friend has been abducted by the CIA in this compelling drama detailing the effects of the war on terror on the lives of average Americans. Meanwhile, her new beau dismisses her fears as paranoia."Not at all. There is no compelling drama, No war on terror, No CIA, No abduction. The only paranoia I can see in this movie is the investors who paid for it. This movie has the same importance as the controversial "Piss Christ." No merit of art can be seen anywhere in this movie.Characters meander around for 90 minutes doing absolutely nothing to involve the audience. You will not care what happens to the characters. Because the director gives the audience nothing to care about. An ingrown toe nail is more compelling than this.I will recommend this movie only so you can see why movies like these should never see the silver screen.

Durra's first film is exceptional, in every way. The understated acting and narrative development is skillfully used to explore trans-local issues. She is also taking on something we see most famously in Inarritu's films: the intricate connections between people who seem to be separated by place, culture, space and time, but who are brought into relation of simultaneity nonetheless. But whereas Inarritu (whom I love) is somewhat bombastic about making these connections salient, and sudden, Durra is subtle and understated. The problems of such connections are also brought out: Javier sometimes makes far-fetched claims about his father's political past in order to try and relate to the experience Asya is having of worrying about her brother who is in Beirut during Israeli bombing.The film also explores class and the politics of distinction in very interesting ways. Putting a Palestinian artist and a Mexican PhD law student--both of clearly upper middle class backgrounds--"on the road" throughout New York is incredibly fruitful. Asya's Mexican cleaning lady is one point where these class issues are worked out. Asya's ambivalence towards the milieu of artists is another.Thoroughly enjoyable on so many levels, complex, subtle, critical and genuinely funny.

This is a pseudo intellectual mess of that is way too pleased with its own perceived cleverness. Elodie Bouchez, despite her obvious physical beauty, is annoying as a pouty supposedly daring artist. The story is disjointed not because it is trying to make a stylistic point but because of the poor construct of the screenplay and the message it is trying to make is lost in all the pointless dialog and the bad acting. Ironically Zeina Durra makes fun of plays and artwork that are exactly like her own work. If you want proof that the imperialists are still alive just read the news and save the 91 minutes needed to watch this rambling film for something more fruitful, like watching paint dry.

Excellent film. I saw it twice on the festival circuit and it made me laugh. It's beautifully made and touches upon things that nobody else bothers to deal with. Elodie Bouchez is phenomenal in it. A totally new perspective that's well done. Although its milieu is privileged it's remarkably self-aware and hilarious in its exploration of class divisions and the various ethnicities in NYC. It's more than just the usual indie story of trying to find their way, much more assured, witty and political. An interesting feminist perspective, great shot structure and a sweet love story to boot.Go see this film!