Tuesday, May 25, 2021
The Attack
- Commentary: Curiously, the Wikipedia page for this movie is a sad affair. It contains not even a plot summary, just a list of the cast, some links to other films by Ziad Doueiri and a list of "External Links" to critical sites that write about this movie. In fact, there is more written about this film in the Wikipedia write-up for Zaid Doueiri, the director, than there is in Wikipedia's write-up about the movie.
I do not remember when I first saw this movie, or how. It was certainly between 2012 and now, probably on a streaming service, definitely at no charge. It seems to me that it may have been within the last five years. I also have a vague recollection of watching it at least twice, perhaps more.
This is a haunting movie that I should have included in my list of Movies I've Seen, Do Not Own but Can't Forget, as I think about it often. This movie lays out a peculiar story about a Palestinian-Islamic physician practicing in Israel whose Palestinian Orthodox Catholic wife is killed in a terrorist bombing. The physician discovers something about his wife's death that horrifies and befuddles him. The bulk of the movie documents his journey to understand her and Israel's and Palestine's roles in her death.
There are no simple answers in this movie, for either the physician or the audience. It will keep you ruminating about The Human Condition long after you've completed watching the movie. In this sense, it is a priviledge for every member of the audience to be invited along on this physician's journey to discover the truth about his wife's life and death, and more. The number of labels I've appended to this film should be an indication of its overwhelming impact.
Finally, if you are in doubt about the impact this film may have on you, read this eloquent review by someone unknown to me who was also gob-smacked by this film.
Warning: This is not a popcorn-and-soda movie. Prepare to be moved, not entertained.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Ali Suliman Amin Jaafari Reymond Amsalem Siham Jaafari Evgenia Dodina Kim Dvir Benedek Raveed Uri Gavriel Captain Moshe Ruba Salameh Faten Karim Saleh Adel Nisrin Siksik Leila Bassem Lulu Yasser Ezra Dagan Ezra Benhaim Ramzi Maqdisi Priest Arieh Worthalter The Man
Release Date: 2012
Directed by Ziad Doueiri.
Labels: drama1, film-art1, haunting1, me-favorite1, mystery1, political1, psychological1, reflective, spiritual1, tragedy1, violence1
