El infiel

I find it bizarre that so many reviewers of this movie have either given it a 10 or <3. The movie deserves none of these (extreme) ratings. It's a solid Middle East thriller that doesn't seem to be too far fetched given what's gone on in that part of the world over the past few decades. However, it's certainly no classic yet, it still kept me interested.

I'm lead to understand the budget was on the low side so for what its worth, I think the quality of cinematography was good as well.

Give it a watch...

Caviezel is a Christian blogger that gets kidnapped in Iran. Probably not a favorite movie for the left, but a decently told tale of faith and rescue.

The fact this is a film with an agenda ... doesn't make what it has to say untrue.

If you go to Cairo as a high-profile Christian blogger ... and effectively "preach Christianity" to a massive TV audience of diehard Muslims ... don't be surprised when your life suddenly takes a rapid turn for the worse. LOL.

Having said that, this is a film worth watching, not so much for the mains (turning in occasionally hammy or contrived performances), but for the concept overall, and particularly the performances of supporting characters such as "Ramzi."

The harshness and lawlessness of the Middle-East felt real (if a little cliched in places) ... but you are left in no doubt as to the eternal divides which exist between the (primarily) Judeo-Christian culture of the West ... and its counterparts of radical Islam elsewhere.

In short, if these themes interest you ... the film is worth checking out.

We enjoyed this movie. It's a pretty realistic story of a man kidnapped and imprisoned for speaking about religion in the middle east. We are so lucky in the USA to have free speech. Many people here take our freedoms for granted.

Jim Caviezel is in the lead role as the outspoken American Christian journalist that is invited to Iran for an exchange of ideas. When he speaks his mind this upsets the authorities and he is captured, tortured, and imprisoned. They try to force him to denounce his views to save his life but he refuses, holding fast to his beliefs.

The beginning says "inspired by true events" but the closing has the usual disclaimer "fictitious and any resemblance to real people is unintentional and coincidental." So I have no idea how realistic it was.

It is a good movie to point up some of the difficulties traveling to and interacting with some Middle Eastern countries, but it is not one I would want to view again.

My wife and I watched it at home on DVD from our public library.