Sarentrol Masterful Cinema

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Brenda The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Winifred The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

jimbo-53-186511 Theeb is the story of two brothers Theeb and Hussein who act as Pilgrim Guides to a British Officer who as part of his mission must find a Roman Well. Upon their arrival at the Well, the group are ambushed by raiders and all of the group (except Theeb) are killed by the raiders. With limited skills and knowledge, Theeb finds himself facing the perilous task of surviving in the desert against all odds.Director and writer Naji Abu Nowar is clearly in no rush to tell his story here and this 'slow-burn approach' is something that invariably can divide audiences. I personally feel that if a director/writer is opting to allow the story to unfold slowly then they need to make sure that the audience are able to become involved with the characters or care for their plight and so on and so forth. This is part of the problem with Theeb in that the characters here aren't really that interesting and no real dynamic seems to exist between them. Also the first part of the story (which sees them being guided to a Well) simply isn't that compelling. There are momentary bursts of energy (such as when Theeb tries to open the British Officer's 'secret box') but for the most part it is quite dull and uninvolving.Another problem I had with this film is the way that it was sold to me; the summary of this film on Sky Movies reads "Oscar-nominated coming-of-age tale about a young Bedouin boy fighting for survival in the desert during the First World War". OK the coming-of-age part I can sort of see, but a fight for survival? Where did this aspect of the story come into play? A fight for survival suggests that we are supposed to fear for someone's life and in all honesty I never really felt scared for Theeb which took away much of the intensity. Sky Movies are perhaps partly to blame as their summary massively over sells the film and suggests it to be something that it isn't. That's just one of the reasons that I came away from this film feeling slightly disappointed.There is one other thing here that I didn't really understand and that is why Theeb didn't just tell the raider to take him back to his tribe when he originally had the gun pointed at him? Theeb is atmospheric and beautifully shot, but the story unfolds far too slowly and even when it got going it didn't really grip me and only held my interest at sporadic intervals.

Andres Salama This film is set during World War I in what is now the country of Jordan. Theeb is a young boy living with his Bedouin family. Their traditional nomadic lifestyle has probably been the same for the past several centuries, but the world around is rapidly being changed by the Arab revolt against Ottoman rule. One night an English military officer (obviously modeled after Lawrence of Arabia) arrives at the Bedouin camp and asks for help in getting to a certain well. The presence of bandits makes such a trip dangerous, but the Bedouins felt compelled by traditional hospitality rules to give him an escort to get there, and Theeb goes along others (including his elder brother) for the ride. When things soon get sour in their trip, Theeb has to rely on only himself to survive several adventures.Arab films don't get much exposure in the rest of the world, even in the festival circuit, but this movie, along with the previous Wadjda, suggests a new wave of Arab art cinema, that is intelligent, professionally made and accessible. Nicely shot in the beautiful Jordanian desert. Most of the cast are Bedouins themselves who have never acted. One of the few exceptions is British actor Jack Fox who plays the English officer.

Steve B This is a good film. The story of Theeb will tug at your heartstrings for this little boy and his hardships. I think the reality of it is great and honestly much of the time I forgot this took place 100 years ago. It is a story of coming of age, revenge, life, and the harshness of that place. I am inspired by the little boy. He is able to survive and persist. He doesn't give up. The harshness of it all seems too much to us today, but it reminds me of the sheltered nature of our world in the US. I have been to the middle east. I cannot imagine the harshness of those times knowing my more modern experiences. This seems predictable but there are so many plot turns that surprise you!

Aktham Tashtush I just can't believe i waited until now to watch it !!The story is sensational and captivating .. I could only imagine that replicating such a powerful story from that period of time is so hard .. My only note is it just felt a bit short or just fast, yet the plot itself was clear and easily engaged with and the script appeared strong and connected even though again it would look short and simple but i think maybe for the Arabic viewer that would be more digestible than having a long conversation in bedouin accent.As for the cinematography I would be 100% confident by saying this is a huge step for the Jordanian Film movement , as The movie looked so professional and i'd say in an eye bat it deserves a spot in the Oscars short list.The Cast was Amazing, The young boy was just so into the role .. it's just like he is and always has been Theeb for so long.And to the most Important and (In my opinion) most noticeable part in the movie and made it pop; The Soundtracks .. I mean My goodness !! the songs the humming, the low level clap on the background .. my heart just synchronized it's beating with the music in the movie ... first time i'v heard of Jerry Lane but i'm hoping, Oh hell i'm sure it won't be the last.So overall, The movie was really good, again wished the the story would'v gone a bit longer with a little more pages on the screenplay .. but that does not make the movie any less charming and delightful ... And i really hope you guys do it in February 28 next year ;) fingers crossed.