Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Don't Believe the Hype

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Wadjda is an excellent film in that it shows a glimpse of a society from the prospective of the title character, Wadjda, a young middle class girl in Saudi Arabia.The main conflicts surround Wadjda and her mother. Wadjda wants to buy a bicycle to beat her friend/crush Abdullah in a race. This is very atypical in Saudi society: girls don't ride bikes, it is for boys. This doesn't stop Wadjda, as she enacts a few different schemes to try and raise the needed funds. Unfortunately, she clashes with the school principal, Ms. Hussa. Ms. Hussa attempts to "save" Wadjda by constantly reprimanding her. Eventually, Wadjda decides to sign up for a Qur'an recitation competition to win the money for her bike.Wadjda's mother is also having problems. She is at ends with her husband, who is constantly away and wants a son that becomes more evident that she can not produce. She is still deeply in love with him. Her other problem is with riding with her dim-witted, easily agitated driver (this was made before women could drive in Saudi Arabia).One of the best parts of the film is the characters interactions, Wadjda and Abdullah's budding friendship/romance. Wasjda and her mother's slow estrangement her father is particular hard to watch. This is a potent movie and seems very realistic. They don't tell the watcher what to believe and leave things as are.: (for Westerners) an eye opening look at one of the most conservative societies on the planet.Everyone involved in the project should give themselves a hand, the did very well.

Wadjda is the story of a little girl living in Saudi Arabia. One day, a boy rides by her on his bike and she chases after him only for him to tease her and say "Catch me if you can." After this, all she wants is a brand new green bicycle that she sees for sale on her way home. The main reason she wants the bike is so she can race the boy that teased her, Abdullah, and beat him. When she asked her mom about buying a bike, she says no and that women don't ride bikes. Wadjda does not care what other people think and begins trying to save up money to purchase the bike. Eventually, Wadjda enters into a school Koran recitation contest to win the prize money and buy a bike. She spends a lot of time preparing for this competition and eventually wins the prize money. When she tells everyone she is going to buy a bike, the school then donates the money instead of giving it to Wadjda. At the very end of the film Wadjda is very sad that she can't purchase her bike. For the happy ending, Wadjda's mom buys her a bike and she beats Abdullah in a race. Overall I really enjoyed this film and thought that the simple story about a girl wanting a bike used to express women's rights is really well thought out and beautiful.

The movie Wadjda is about an Arabic girl, Wadjda is born in a family that is not really wealthy. She really wants to ride a bike like her friend, but her mother denies to buy her one because this disobeys the social norms in their Arabic society. Wadjda tries to collect money from her friends, and even wins a competition(But she does not actually get the award at the end). Eventually, her hard work impresses her mother to allow her to ride a bike. The last couple scenes in the movie was very touching to me. Wadjda's mother divorces with her father, and uses all the money she has for the red dress to buy Wadjda a bike. When I see Wadjda is finally riding the bike, I am so happy for her, but also sad for her mother. I would give this film an 8, because I really like the story line and how religion and social norms are playing such an important role in this film. I would definitely recommend this film, because it shows so many culture elements that we can never see in our life.

Very little can be said without controversy about a movie made on a culture that typically rejects outsider's views. Frankly, I fail to see the point of the whole effort and the risks taken by passionate women filmmakers who make films like Wadjda. Maybe it is to keep the hope for change alive or to express dissent against social oppression. In either case, outsiders can only sympathize and then move on with their lives. Truth is, I'll never fully comprehend the state of women in the Saudi patriarchy. As a reviewer of this film, I choose not to comment on that part. I'd only say one thing. A lot of circumstances are comparable to the odds faced by women even the most progressive societies. If you are watching this movie with a sociological perspective then you're probably going to miss the fun. So, for the sake of the story, leave your judgement outside the door. What strikes me in this film is a child's will to overcome obstacles. It's not because Wadjda is a girl child that her story is more interesting. Although, that might be core to the plot. I can attest that all children at one point or another feel left out, isolated, unloved even. Wadjda's mother loves her but she has a lot of things to deal with. The inspiring part is that she understands this and is willing to work with whatever she has got. Her family is undergoing some stressful times that are usually hard to cope for a child of her age. Instead of acting out like an entitled kid, she hacks her way through troubles. She's a natural entrepreneur who would not back down. Its uplifting to watch Wadjda because of her ingenuity to invent her surroundings. She displays leadership as well. The film deals with hypocrisy nicely. Just compare the characters of Wadjda's teacher with the shopkeeper who holds out on the bicycle for her.Wadjda is a unique story. It is somewhat reminiscent of 'Children of Heaven'. There is a competition and prize money involved and the outcome is again wholly different and not at all what you'd expect. It is a heartfelt story about a child coping with abandonment issues through a cause. Her aim is to get a bicycle for herself and win a race with Abdullah (a cheeky little boy who's also her best friend and bears a lot of her brunt too). The goal she has set for herself, probably signifies one phase of hardships. Wadjda may have achieved this one with her single minded determination but where she goes from there is left to the audience's speculation. There is a lot of optimism there. Although, her adorable mission is enough to melt away the hearts of skeptics, you'll find her persistence quite infectious.