***GREAT FILM ALERT – FOR PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT CINEMA – GREAT FILM ALERT***
I had not heard of the 2009 film Captain Abu Raed until my intrepid FB movie buddy Ryan Marshall made me aware of its existence. The less you know about this powerful, slow-burn drama from writer/director Amin Matalqa the better. This was the first Jordanian film in 50 years and the first that the country ever submitted for Oscar consideration, which is as hard to believe as it sounds. American productions have been using Jordan as a Middle East backdrop for years, but apparently, the countries own film economy was slow to start, and since the production of Captain Abu Raed, at least 10 other films have been completed. This is a poignant, touching, and finally devastating portrait of people randomly thrown into each other’s orbit, and it’s yet another film that goes to some extreme places to make a statement about the overall human condition. I loved this film. The lead performance from long time character actor Nadim Sawalha was nothing short of brilliant, the performances from the various child actors resonated with truth and believability, and I commend Matalqa for not bowing out in the final act, taking his narrative to its sad, inexorable conclusion. Sawalha plays Abu Raed, an airport janitor who spins stories to the local youth about how he’s really a pilot. He’s a man holding intense personal secrets, and his life takes a potentially tragic turn when he intervenes on a situation with an abusive neighbor. Add in a sweet and unlikely friendship with the severely pretty Jordanian TV personality Rana Sultan, playing a pilot who crosses paths with Abu Raed. There isn’t a wasted scene in the entire film, and it’s deceptively simple opening 40 minutes quickly gives way to a potent last half that challenges your expectations. This film likely makes my top 20 for had it been released this year. Seek it out.
Podcasting Them Softly 