Omar Review

Director: Hany Abu-Assad.

Starring: Adam Bakri, Leem Lubany, Waleed Zuaiter, Samer Bisharat, Iyad Hoorani.

Running Time: 96 minutes.

Certificate: 15.

Synopsis: A Palestinian freedom fighter is forced to become an informant for the Israeli military, putting his relationship with his two oldest friends and the woman he plans to marry at risk.

OMAR, Hany Abu-Assad’s second Oscar-nominated feature, is a complementary piece to his 2005 film, PARADISE NOW. Hany introduces us to a world consumed by loyalty, deceit and betrayal, the Oscar-nominated film masterfully illustrating the daily struggles of life in the West Bank, all whilst depicting the harsh reality of Israeli occupation and the resistance to it. The Palestinian-born director delivers an exaggerated expression of what is an unfortunate reality.

The film tells the story of Omar (Adam Bakri) and his close friends Tarek (Iyad Hoorani) and Amjad (Samer Bisharat) who are militants affiliated with the Aksa Martyrs Brigade. They plan to show their loyalty by arranging to shoot an Israeli soldier. Of course the event – which was intended as an initiation into manhood – leads to a series of tragic events that mostly impact Omar. He is arrested, imprisoned, interrogated and beaten. Omar is then faced with a choice by Rami (Waleed Zuaiter), the Israeli officer handling his case, to either become an informant or spend the rest of his life in prison. Grasping at his opportunity for freedom, suspicion and betrayal soon jeopardise his relationships with girlfriend Nadia (Leem Lubany) and accomplices and childhood friends Amjad and Tarek, Nadia’s militant brother.

Omar’s situation is a catch-22, faced with bleak choices and equally intolerable outcomes. Desperately trying to find a way out of this predicament, Omar’s method of decision-making is based purely on his affection for Nadia. The Israelis are always a step ahead, threatening to dispense secrets, thus making Omar a slave in order to secure the safety of those he cares for dearly. Is Omar a freedom fighter or a traitor? He is a complex character with his loyalty questioned and his relationships tested. The film does well to show these conflicts, whilst showing the lengths Omar will go to for friends and family.

The film possesses qualities that thrill and excite, all the while making the viewer uncomfortable. Hany’s camerawork inflicts a sense of realism that makes some scenes difficult to watch. With a cast of fresh faces, each are given their moments to shine. Leem Lubany possesses an innocence and naivety in her portrayal of Nadia, with intimate close-ups revealing so much. Hany conveys a very personal and engaging piece that has you enthralled, but also encourages you to think.

OMAR is a thriller and a romance, unashamed to traverse a spectrum of emotions. Hany offers a fresh look at life consumed by an unending conflict; his take is direct yet leaves you torn. Abu-Assad does not shy away from showing the brutal facts of life in the West Bank, which is ultimately what makes the film an intense and thrilling watch. As much as the film is enjoyable following Omar’s journey, it is also shocking and reveals an inconvenient truth. The brutal and honest facts hit you hard, but none more so than the final scene. While the end is a quick dash to tie off loose ends, the final scene is brought to a sudden halt and is an unsettling end to Omar’s story. Brilliantly mirroring the conflict itself, there is no resolute or peaceful ending.

[usr=3] OMAR is released in UK cinemas on Friday 30th May, 2014.