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Paradise Now

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Paradise Now (2005)

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Reviews Counted:97

Fresh:86

Rotten:11

Average Rating:7.4/10

Consensus: This film delves deeply into the minds of suicide bombers, and the result is unsettling.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for mature thematic material and brief strong language.

Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Oct 28, 2005 Limited

Box Office: $1,123,750

Synopsis: "PARADISE NOW" is the story of two young Palestinian men as they embark upon what may be the last 48 hours of their lives. On a typical day in the West Bank city of Nablus, where daily life grinds... "PARADISE NOW" is the story of two young Palestinian men as they embark upon what may be the last 48 hours of their lives. On a typical day in the West Bank city of Nablus, where daily life grinds on amidst crushing poverty and the occasional rocket blast, we meet two childhood best friends, Saïd (Kais Nashef) and Khaled (Ali Suliman), who pass time drinking tea, smoking a hookah, and working dead-end menial jobs as auto mechanics. Saïd's day takes a turn for the better when a beautiful young woman named Suha (Lubna Azabal) brings her car in for repairs. From their spirited interaction, it is apparent that there is a budding romance growing between them. Saïd is approached by middle-aged Jamal (Amer Hlehel), a point man for an unnamed Palestinian organization who informs Saïd that he and Khaled have been chosen to carry out a strike in Tel Aviv. They have been chosen for this mission as a team, because each had expressed a wish that if either is to die a martyr, the other would want to die alongside his best friend. Saïd and Khaled have been preparing for this moment for most of their lives. They spend a last night at home -- although they must keep their impending mission secret even from their families. During the night Saïd sneaks off to see Suha one last time. Suha's moderate views, having been educated in Europe, and Saïd's burgeoning conflicted conscience cause him to stop short of explaining why he has come to say good-bye. The following day, Saïd and Khaled are lead to a hole in the fence that marks the Israeli border, where they are to meet a driver who will take them to Tel Aviv. But here the plan goes wrong, and Saïd and Khaled are separated. "PARADISE NOW" follows two Palestinian childhood friends who have been recruited for a strike on Tel Aviv and focuses on their last days together. When they are intercepted at the Israeli border and separated from their handlers, a young woman who discovers their plan causes them to reconsider their actions. Winner of multiple prizes at the 2005 Berlin Film Festival, and invited to be presented at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival, the film was written by Hany Abu-Assad ("Ford Transit," "Rana's Wedding") & Bero Beyer and directed by Abu-Assad, and stars Kais Nashef, Ali Suliman, Lubna Azaba., "PARADISE NOW" is a production of Augustus Film with Lama Films, Razor Film, Lumen Films, Arte France Cinema, Hazazah Film and produced with the support of Nederlands Fonds Voor De Film, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Eurimages, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, I2I Preparatory Action of the European Community and World Cinema Fund. --© Warner Independent Pictures [More]

Starring: Kais Nashef, Ali Suliman, Lubna Azabel, Amer Hiehel

Starring: Kais Nashef, Ali Suliman, Lubna Azabel, Amer Hiehel

Director: Hany Abu-Assad

Director: Hany Abu-Assad
Producer: Hany Abu-Assad
Screenwriter: Bero Beyer
Producer: Amir Harel, Gerhard Meixner, Roman Paul
Studio: Warner Independent

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Release:

Mar 21, 2006

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Paradise Now
  • "PARADISE NOW" follows two Palestinian childhood friends who have been recruited for a strike on Tel Aviv and focuses on their last days together. When they are intercepted at the Israeli border and separated from their handlers, a young woman who discovers their plan causes them to reconsider their actions.
  • Source: Warner Home Video
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Paradise Now

    • T-Meter Critics
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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    The filmmaker keeps the thorny issues under control

    Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
    09/01/09
    Fernando F. Croce
    Fernando F. Croce
    CinePassion
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
    10/18/08
    Deseret News, Salt Lake City

    Could a more important, relevant and complimentary film to Munich have come out in 2005?

    Full Review Source: BrandonFibbs.com | comment Comment
    02/28/08
    Brandon Fibbs
    Brandon Fibbs
    BrandonFibbs.com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
    08/16/07
    Ben Walters
    Ben Walters
    Time Out New York
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Nation | comment Comment
    11/11/06
    Stuart Klawans
    Stuart Klawans
    Nation
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
    09/28/06
    Sight and Sound

    Abu-Assad does a good job of building tension and showing some of the complexities within Palestinian culture. He has, as they say, put a human face on the Palestinians.

    Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
    09/27/06
    Peter T. Chattaway
    Peter T. Chattaway
    Christianity Today

    Un film duro, polémico y bien realizado, que promueve el debate sobre un conflicto aún por resolver.

    Full Review Source: Uruguay Total | comment Comment
    09/06/06
    Enrique Buchichio
    Enrique Buchichio
    Uruguay Total

    A tragedy regardless of its conclusion, Paradise Now is an important and powerful effort to explicate the inexplicable.

    Full Review Source: All Movie Guide | comment Comment
    08/05/06
    Josh Ralske
    Josh Ralske
    All Movie Guide
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    06/24/06
    Time Out

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
    06/03/06
    Peter Sobczynski
    Peter Sobczynski
    eFilmCritic.com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
    05/12/06
    Jonathan Kiefer
    Jonathan Kiefer
    Sacramento News & Review
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
    05/06/06
    Peter Bradshaw
    Peter Bradshaw
    Guardian [UK]
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
    05/06/06
    BBC

    While it fails to make a compelling argument for terrorism, it is a compelling story nonetheless.

    Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
    03/07/06
    Robert Roten
    Robert Roten
    Laramie Movie Scope

    It's all compelling, and the film boasts an ending that leaves the audience sitting in numbed silence.

    Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
    03/01/06
    Ken Hanke
    Ken Hanke
    Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

    For a while as perversely compelling as Spielberg's Munich, the film sadly deflates as a narrative.

    Full Review Source: Orlando Weekly | comment 1 Comment
    02/02/06
    Steve Schneider
    Steve Schneider
    Orlando Weekly

    Ainda que assuma claramente a defesa da causa palestina, o cineasta deixa clara sua reprovação ao terrorismo.

    Full Review Source: Cinema em Cena | comment Comment
    01/27/06
    Pablo Villaca
    Pablo Villaca
    Cinema em Cena

    ... it says more about Middle Eastern politics from the Palestinian side than any movie, period.

    Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
    01/27/06
    Roger Moore
    Roger Moore
    Orlando Sentinel
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
    01/17/06
    Sydney Morning Herald
     
     
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    Latest News for Paradise Now

    March 06, 2006: Indie Spirit Awards Distributed
    Lost in the shadow of the weekend's Oscar coverage was the annual Independent Spirit Awards presentation, which is where you'll find ... a lot of accolades similar to the... More...

    January 31, 2006: 2005 Oscar Nominations Are In!
    Like most pathetic movie geeks, I was up at the crack of dawn (ok, 8:30am eastern time) to see how my nomination prediction ballot would measure up. (I was perfect on all 20... More...

    December 20, 2005: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics 2005 Awards
    December 19, 2005 -- DALLAS-FORT WORTH FILM CRITICS NAME “BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN” BEST OF 2005. The Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association voted the frontier romance BROKEBACK... More...

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