I just saw this, and I gave it a 9.
The filming and pace were extremely well done. The story isn't so much suspenseful as stressful, which is a reflection of what the characters are going through. You're unsure you'll be allowed in, you're stuck in line, you can't get in touch, you're being watched, and you have a wedding to attend, a life to live. Palestinians have their friends, and their hopes, and that's it, and this film conveys that very well.
The acting is good, everyone is on the same level, the characters are good under the scrutiny of a camera which takes long stares. The story is not contrived like many may-not-happen wedding films, it continues to move along. There is some humor, but it's the kind of humor you see in everyday life, it's not a comedy.
It's filmed on location Jerusalem and Ramallah, and we see all the elements of everyday life that come over to the US on the news: somber funerals, stones against assault rifles, houses being demolished, cops with itchy trigger fingers, endless lines at military checkpoints, a little poverty, lots of filth, but in a nicely done way, the film isn't very heavy handed about it, it shows it there and moves on, not focusing on the misery, and the atmosphere comes through the characters and their emotions. Rana is upset, even with her fiancee, and you see why someone can be so upset on what she hopes to be the happiest day of her life.
The filming and pace were extremely well done. The story isn't so much suspenseful as stressful, which is a reflection of what the characters are going through. You're unsure you'll be allowed in, you're stuck in line, you can't get in touch, you're being watched, and you have a wedding to attend, a life to live. Palestinians have their friends, and their hopes, and that's it, and this film conveys that very well.
The acting is good, everyone is on the same level, the characters are good under the scrutiny of a camera which takes long stares. The story is not contrived like many may-not-happen wedding films, it continues to move along. There is some humor, but it's the kind of humor you see in everyday life, it's not a comedy.
It's filmed on location Jerusalem and Ramallah, and we see all the elements of everyday life that come over to the US on the news: somber funerals, stones against assault rifles, houses being demolished, cops with itchy trigger fingers, endless lines at military checkpoints, a little poverty, lots of filth, but in a nicely done way, the film isn't very heavy handed about it, it shows it there and moves on, not focusing on the misery, and the atmosphere comes through the characters and their emotions. Rana is upset, even with her fiancee, and you see why someone can be so upset on what she hopes to be the happiest day of her life.