MOVIE REVIEWS

Review by Filipe Manuel Neto

**A Moroccan-scented film that, at least, does something minimally satisfying.** When I decided to see this movie, I thought it was Moroccan. I haven't seen many Moroccan films, if any. However, when I went to read about it, I discovered that, despite the aroma, it is actually a very American film: directed and written by Aziz Tazi, a Moroccan who lives in California, it is overwhelmingly spoken in English and the actors are almost all Americans. The film has a good story, but it has some problems. It begins with the meeting between Frank and Sarah, a young Moroccan girl. When romance begins to gain strength, she decides to take him to her country, to know the land and her family. However, a tragic incident occurs, in which the local police end up shooting Sarah. Charged with murder, Frank will serve time in the US. In prison, he goes on a journey of moral and spiritual rediscovery, hoping to prove his innocence and punish the culprits of his personal tragedy. The script has some sugary moments, but I took it well. I had more difficulties with the non-linear narrative and flashbacks: I think the film dispensed the intensive use of this resource. But where I really believe the script failed was the sheer amount of illogical details: for example, Sarah's mother's house looks like a rich people's palace, her father never shows up, and never her mother, nor Sarah herself, wears the Islamic veil, although Islamic states usually impose it (or strongly recommend it). I also can't imagine where in the US you can have a prison with a Muslim population as relevant as the one in this film (except maybe Guantánamo). After all, there are very few practicing Muslims in the US. The actors' work is satisfactory: Sean Stone and Sarah Alami have good chemistry together and work well as a romantic couple. They're not brilliant, but they do what it takes. The rest of the cast is not so good: I liked Laouni Mouhid and Ricco Ross, but I'm still not sure why Ivana Nguyen's character was created. She appears little and has no relevance. Finally, Mickey Rourke, Patrick Kilpatrick and Eric Roberts have reason to forget this film: I know they played some obnoxious villains, but in addition to being very superficial, they histrionically overacted all the time. Technically, the best thing that the film presents us is the way Tazi dominates the flashbacks, although he exaggerates a lot in their use. I also really liked the sets and filming locations. I believe that part of the film was shot in Morocco, and that gives the film greater authenticity. Furthermore, I also enjoyed hearing people speak a language other than English. These details are important to me, and I learned to appreciate them. Unfortunately, the cinematography is very regular, and the editing is relatively poor. Also, the soundtrack is never able to stand out or add value to the film.