Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Brightlyme i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

cinemajesty Film Review: "Paradise Now" (2005)This important independent film presented by already-vanished Warner Bros. Pictures' affiliate Warner Independent Pictures directed by Hany Abu Assad, recently-received international-coverage with survival-drama "The Mountain Between Us" starring Kate Winslet and Idris Elba, takes on the civil terror issues of a remaining melting pot on the Gaza Strip between Hebrew-embedded Israelis and Muslim-religion-indulging Palestinians, here portrayed as family-loving men of action with nevertheless the controversy ongoing mind-set for retaliation, which lets "Paradise Now" stand-out in the ground, who brings the audience near to the inner-conflict in inherited-poisoned hearts of two young men get recruited to take the bus into Israel's major city Tel-Aviv with C4-bombs strapped around their hips, when director Hany Abu Assad, Isreali in his own right, avoids any scene of action nor a single gun-shot to share a super-suspense thriller-drama on the "war-on-terror" between Israel and Palestine, which delivers in engaging scenes of human conflict in a tight image system on how to deal with brainwashed people surrounded by suicide missions, when a sub-plotting sacrifice of a newly-found love between man and woman lingers all through the picture, delicately and minimalistic-shot incorporating ultra-slow dolly push-ins onto intriguing character portrayals by cinematographer Antoine Héberlé to a highly recommended revisit viewing since a world-premiere at Berlin Film Festival in February 2005.© 2018 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

rhkoehler So, I thought this movie was great for the most part. I thought it looked at a very edgy topic that is not talked about all too often and I thought it brought an interesting point of view for western viewers such as Americans and Europeans. I also thought it was cool that the movie tried its best to stay accurate and serious but at the same time still had a few funny moments here and there. The one thing that bothers me though is that it seems to be one sided, though the director says he was keeping an open view on this topic, I just feel we didn't get the whole background of it. I know a lot of people will not like that I feel this way but the movie , in my personal opinion, seemed to be promoting terrorism more than a "freedom fighter" movement. This just really got on my nerves a little bit and I understand nationalism, but I feel that what the Palestinians are doing is more of a terrorist act than a revolutionary act. With that being said though, I still thought the movie was good and interesting, it kept the viewer on the edge of their seats and kept them wanting more. I would totally recommend this to a friend if they were looking for a movie of this genre. 8/10

logatherum Life turns violent when Said and Khaled, who are best friends, get recruited by a terrorist group to bomb Israel because of past conflict. However, their mission is almost spoiled after one of the men gets separated from the other, but after complications they reunite, only to find that Khaled has had a change of heart. He tries to get his friend to come back home with him and to not kill, but Said has his mind made up, and goes for it. Overall, I thought that the storyline to this movie was clever and interesting. However, I didn't really like it because it was super confusing and (in my opinion) unclear at times. I found myself really lost as to who was who, and what was going on. Part of this may be because Khaled and Said switched opinions so fast and spontaneously. For example, Khaled was very on board to carry out the terrorist attack on Tel Aviv, when Said was not. Then suddenly, Khaled had a change of heart and decided to not go through with it, and Said became so caught up and focused on it, he did end up going through with it even though he had to do it alone! I wish that this film was a little different in the sense that it was more lucid. I found that I also had to focus a lot on the dialogue, because this was one of those films that if you miss something, you miss a lot and will end up confused. My favorite character was Suha because she seemed to be the most level- headed out of all the characters. After all, she was the one who ended up convincing Khaled not to attack, and her points that she made about being "equal" were so so true and valid even in real life when it comes to terrorism and bad things people do. Towards the end, I liked Said less and less as I started to like Khaled more and more, because (I think) Said ended up attacking Tel Aviv, and Khaled did the right thing to just go home.

hazel55 Paradise Now is a beautifully shot and directed film that immerses you completely in the mind and morals of a Palestinian suicide bomber. This experience is clearly not for everyone, and neither is this movie. But for those unafraid to explore some different, highly disturbing mindsets and help understand the many small humiliations that lead to seemingly senseless acts of violence, Paradise Now is worth watching.Directed by Hany Abu-Assad, this film plunges the watcher directly into the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. Said and Khaled are two lifelong friends who live a hardscrabble life in Nablus. Oppressed by the occupation, they seem to be stuck in dead end jobs and given few options due primarily to prejudice and discrimination on the part of the Israeli occupiers. Their days (it is clear long before one character points it out) are a lesson in deadening boredom.So when the two are chosen by a Palestinian terrorist group to carry out a suicide bombing in Israel they are only too happy to accept. The rest of the film focuses on the fateful days the young men are to carry out their mission: their preparations, their last wishes, and their states, mental and physical. We soon see that Khaled is thrilled to carry out the mission--he believes he is unquestionably right and on a mission from God. But Said is more unsure; he continually questions whether what he is about to do is morally right. The films main focus is whether Khaled and Said will fulfill their suicide mission, or walk away.For those looking for a fair, balanced look at the Israeli Palestinian conflict that presents recognizably human characters from both sides, should not look to this movie. In Paradise Now, Abu-Assad places the viewer directly in the consciousness of the two Palestinian suicide bombers, and we see all Israelis as he sees them: as oppressors. There are hardly any Israelis with speaking roles; those who do emerge do so very briefly, and are fairly stereotypical and unsympathetic. Mostly, the Israelis seem like the nameless, faceless enemy--far removed from our heroes and the "real life" of Nabulus. This is a positive thing in that it helps further allow viewers to see the world as Said and Khaled see it. However, it also feels fairly manipulative on the filmmakers part in that it allows viewers to easily sympathize with Said's planned actions, to view their "taking out as many Israelis as possible" as a heroic act of protest, rather than a senseless mass murder.It's worth noting that Hany Abu-Asad, the writer and director, has said in interviews that "Israelis are hated for a reason," and declared that had his background been different, he, too, may have ended up a suicide bomber. This is somewhat understandable given his background, however, one wonders if it makes for a less than fair-minded movie. Suha, who serves as the voice of reason, does discourage the young men from going through with their bombing. However, it is worth noting that during her speeches against the act, she frequently argues that Said should not go through with it because "it will give Israelis an alibi for further violence against us." She never once mentions that they shouldn't do it because the act is wrong in that it murders innocent people.Ultimately, though, the movie is fair in its own way--- it presents us with an honest view from one perspective. I would highly recommend Paradise Now for those who enjoy thoughtful, well-made films with serious subject matter.