Can a film be done well in almost all departments, but still be disliked? In short: yes. The beautiful Freida Pinto, of Slumdog Millionaire fame, plays Miral, who gets involved in the campaign for a free Israel in the late 80's. According to the text at the end, she's grown up to be a top international journalist. Good for her. What I do question though, is whether her story was worth committing to celluloid. On this evidence, I would say not.
Pinto doesn't even appear until halfway through... we have to wade through a lot of back story involving miscellaneous characters before we meet our heroine, all grown up. Described as a 'terrorist' on the movie poster, this is a bit misleading... she just hands out some leaflets, holds onto some sensitive books for her rebel boyfriend. Her one brush with the law is quickly dealt with, and the rest of the time she has inconsequential chats with her friends and family. Snore.
When the ending arrived, I couldn't believe it. I'd invested 90+ minutes for... THAT? In the past, I've criticised Hollywood biopics for sometimes play and fast with the truth. If giving us a straight account of someone's life ends up like this, perhaps my mind has been completely changed on the subject... 5/10
Pinto doesn't even appear until halfway through... we have to wade through a lot of back story involving miscellaneous characters before we meet our heroine, all grown up. Described as a 'terrorist' on the movie poster, this is a bit misleading... she just hands out some leaflets, holds onto some sensitive books for her rebel boyfriend. Her one brush with the law is quickly dealt with, and the rest of the time she has inconsequential chats with her friends and family. Snore.
When the ending arrived, I couldn't believe it. I'd invested 90+ minutes for... THAT? In the past, I've criticised Hollywood biopics for sometimes play and fast with the truth. If giving us a straight account of someone's life ends up like this, perhaps my mind has been completely changed on the subject... 5/10