The War Within reviews...Anyone seen the movie yet?

[whistle]

The War Within (2005)
Directed by
Joseph Castelo

Writing credits
Ayad Akhtar
Joseph Castelo
(more)

Genre: Drama

Plot Outline: A Pakistani involved in a planned attack in New York City experiences a crisis of conscience. (view trailer)

User Comments: Thoughtful, well crafted and Engaging (more)

User Rating: 5.6/10 (38 votes)

Credited cast:
Ayad Akhtar .... Hassan
Firdous Bamji .... Sayeed
Samrat Chakrabarti .... Chief Inspector Khan
Sarita Choudhury .... Farida
Aasif Mandvi .... Abdul
Kamal Marayati .... Imam Hamza
Mike McGlone .... Mike O'Reilly
Nandana Sen .... Duri
Varun Sriram
(more)

Also Known As:
Over the Mountains (USA) (working title)
Runtime: Canada:90 min (Toronto International Film Festival) / USA:90 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Color
Certification: USA:Not Rated

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

User Comments:

3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful:-
Thoughtful, well crafted and Engaging, 21 September 2005

Author: forgottennmantra from United States


I love this film. It works. It moved me, it frightened me and it shocked me. The idea of a fundamentalist suicide bomber living among his victims before his attack is one which strikes deep.

I didn't see Hassan simply as a machine or as a monster or as the incarnation of evil. I saw him as a man, like all men, capable of MAKING himself into a machine or a monster or the incarnation of evil should he chose to do so. And this film is about a man who makes that choice. Thankfully the filmmakers knew that the reasons for such a choice can't be explained in an entire lifetime let alone two hours.

All of the acting is refreshingly true. FIRDOUS BAMJI is heartbreaking. But AYAD AKHTAR holds it all together. His subtle portrayal is enough reason to see this film. He didn't take the easy road and serve as yet another facile illustration of how simple it is to tell the good guys from the bad guys.

This film asks those questions we in the West have been asking since September 11th. Most of them start with the word "how?" In art asking the questions as truthfully as you can is always better than providing the answers.

<link to more> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0414344/