Just perfect...

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

How sad is it that this masterpiece piece of a movie is relatively hidden from the public for purely political reasons? The word is out about what is really happening in Israel and the nearly 70 years of Hell the Palestinian have had to endure. This film does the job of showing the psychological aspects of living in the apartheid war crime capital of the world. And this film teaches you a few things. This film focuses on heroic and strong women having to deal with being born into a tortuous situation, a living Hell on earth. Funny how Israel can not stop stealing land. I literally read an article about the government of Israel green lighting 15 thousand more settlements, I believe that is the third time just this year. And people wonder why Palestinians are so upset. I almost feel sorry for Israel because they will have to answer to a Higher Power for their twisted games. Anyway, I highly recommend this movie because the acting is outstanding and the story is not only true but very inspirational.

Ignore some of the terrible reviews this movie has gotten. Watch it and reach your own conclusions.The "story" presented here presents personal stories of people affected by the creation of Israel in former Palestine, a British colony. This movie is not meant to be history, though facts of history are presented, but based on how the situation has affected people in different parts of society of Palestinians and Israelis.Although the movie is from a Palestinian perspective, I didn't feel that it was anti-Israeli, but did show how the partisan situation has affected many negatively, but mostly the Palestinians.I would urge everyone to see this movie with an eye to what happens with both colonialism and war. That some manage to survive does not mean thousands more didn't suffer greatly.This movie has some flaws, and I'll mention some here so you will not think I could not see them. While much of the cinematography is excellent there are times that I had to turn away because the cinematographer must have used a hand-held camera zoomed in so the picture is blurry. Then he moves the camera from side to side or makes a sweep and it almost gave me motion sickness and distracted from the movie. I have no idea why this was allowed, but if this bothers you, just move on because it doesn't last. Sometimes the story line seems truncated. First Miral's mother is a belly dancer then she is married to a moderate, kind, Muslim leader, not an oppositionist. Did I miss something? I think some of the narrative transitions fell on the cutting room floor.Despite any flaws I really urge you to see the movie. It has very beautiful music, excellent acting and is thought-provoking about the situation with the Palestinians and Israelis. Its partisanship is not strident so you don't feel that it is meant to be any type of manifesto. It does leave us wondering why the Oslo agreements of 1993 were never finally agreed upon, though there are understandable reasons. This question is NOT the point of the movie, however.

First of all, I'd just like to mention that I am a Secular American Jew who may make Aliyah in the future.Anyway, I actually just registered for IMDb being that I thought this movie was really worth reviewing here and that I think all my friends should see it, anyway, my review.If you go into watching Miral expecting to see a plot with clear structure, intro to climax and conclusion, your expectations will not be met. However, if you go into Miral in order to learn more about the Arab-Israeli conflict and follow it from an honest, Palestinian perspective, you'll love this movie to death.Although most people say that this movie is following the lives of two different Palestinian women, you're really only following one--Miral, the other woman doesn't really develop as a character throughout the film. Miral during the film goes through metamorphosis of perspective of sorts as she goes from being a revolutionary against the Israelis to realizing the goodness on both sides and believing in the possibility for peace.But besides that, the events going around Miral paint a perfect picture of the conflict, as it is, nothing hidden. For example, in the film, you'll see a "Peace Protest" that turned violent that Miral participated in, as well mention of Jewish Settlements within the region of Judea and Samaria/the West Bank. You will also see tremendous hate on both sides, such as a Palestinian who in her blind hate became a suicide bomber killing innocent people she didn't know in a movie theater, and an Israeli father who "thinks all Palestinians are terrorists".All in all, this is an absolutely fantastic film and I highly recommend it, but cautiously. As this film does not show much, if any of a separate Israeli perspective (Like most of the media involving the Israeli-Arab conflict, this film only shows one side, Arab or Israeli, and not the other), it is therefore somewhat biased in presentation by definition. The viewer should be careful and take heed of all events in the film as they are, simply, and through Miral's perspective while viewing for maximum enjoyment and understanding of the events depicted.

Political films based on actual events are usually angry sentiments and have a strong point to make. This biographical drama is no different. Based on Rula Jebreal's novel, the emotionally charged production gives us an insight on the political unrest and instability happening on the other side of the world. Regard it educational if you will, this Julian Schnabel directed film will leave you wondering what it takes to live a life surrounded by the horrors of war.The film chronicles Hind Husseini's effort to build an orphanage in Jerusalem after the 1948 Arab Israeli War. This began with her crossing paths with 55 orphaned children while on her way to work one day. She took them home and before she knew it, she had almost 2000 orphans under her care. The Dar Al-Tifel Institute was born, and thousands of orphaned children came under Husseini's care. Some 30 years later, Miral, a motherless child was sent to the orphanage by her father. Upon turning 17, she is sent to a refugee camp where she experiences the tension between Israel and Palestine, and the possible destructions it can bring to her own life.Director Schnabel is known for his award winning works The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) and Before Night Falls (2000), and it comes as no surprise that the New York born filmmaker's latest project deals with such politically charged themes, despite the foreign lands the story takes place in. Through gritty cinematography (read: shaky camera work) and choppy editing (read: abrupt cuts and transitions), Schnabel shows us a world which we have only read about but never had the chance to experience. Sure, there may be no beautifully decorated sets with perfectly synchronized action sequences, but this is the slices of reality which the locals have to live with day after day.It is also clear that the film presents a Palestinian perspective of things, and may appear one sided to viewers who are expecting this to be objective. Do note, however, that this is based on a memoir by Jebreal, and it is only natural that the war is seen through her eyes.Amidst the violence and assaults, there is tenderness and compassion in the 112 minute film as Schnabel tells a story of remarkably strong women surviving in times of turmoil. Their intertwined tales may be unevenly told, but you'd feel a sense of passion and zeal as they go through life fighting for their beliefs and causes.Playing the central character Husseini is Hiam Abbass (The Visitor, Munich), a Palestinian actress who injects the much needed fervour into her character. Frieda Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire) plays the titular character, and viewers get to see how a girl who is initially brought up safely inside the orphanage's walls gradually grows into a young woman who is awakened by the reality around her and has to fight for her convictions. Appearing in supporting roles are familiar faces like Willem Dafoe (Daybreakers) and Vanessa Redgrave (Letters to Juliet) in the first few minutes of the film.The film ends without any closure or resolution, which reflects the harsh realities happening on the other side of the planet we live in. And that, in our opinion, is the best way to leave us reflecting on the unnecessary pain and tragedies brought about by war.www.moviexclusive.com