Paradise Now (2005)

Ever thought your life was too complicated? Imagine being chosen to be a suicide bomber. I understand the tactical aspect of why a suicide bomber is a good idea because the bomber can't be captured. You can't torture a dead man to find out information. What I've never been able to wrap my head around is why someone would actually volunteer to do it. I still don't after seeing this movie but I do realize the whole thing is a lot more complicated than I thought.

Paradise Now is the story of a couple of Palestinian friends who have chosen to become suicide bombers. This movie deals with the issues that would naturally arise if you volunteered for such a mission. Naturally you'd question whether you were doing the right thing. There is of course someone exploiting them to get them to do it. Plus, there is always the girl. All of the different factors lead to complications and you're kept wondering throughout if they'll actually go through with it.

This was a very well done movie, and it needed to be considering the subject matter. The actors were wonderful and even though there was no narrator you could naturally get a sense of what must have been running through their minds. This is a really powerful movie that I recommend everyone seeing at some point. It certainly adds yet another layer of complexity to the seemingly hopeless Israeli/Palestinian conflict.

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This movie will stop streaming on Netflix 3/1/11.

The Standard 5:

Why is it in your queue? It sounded like a powerful premise.

Is it artsy? No, but it is subtitled and the content is pretty heavy.

Best thing about the movie? Wondering what will happen.

What mood should I be in to watch this movie? Looking for something very thought-provoking with very intense subject matter.

What rating did you give it on Netflix? 4 Stars.

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