Movies
I still remember how this film garnered quite a bit of attention upon its release, I just never got around to watching it back then. Watching it now, it's clear why this did so well. Though I didn't find it all that exceptional myself, the rather dry reproduction of two guys being radicalized as suicide bombers no doubt struck a cord. Khaled and Saïd are two childhood friends who are living pretty decent lives, until they are recruited to commit a suicide attack in Tel Aviv. A friend of Saïd tries to dissuade them of joining in, but the recruiters really got through to the boys and they seem hellbent on finishing their assigned task. The nice thing about Paradise Now is that it doesn't feel sensationalized. The presentation is decent but nothing spectacular, performances are solid, the pacing is fine. The ending is pretty predictable (both the conclusion and the execution) and the film does get a little talkative in places, on top of that the message feels a little light and obvious. Not a bad film, it just didn't really move me.Read all