Rebel

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

Good movie!

Hollywood really can't get over itself enough to produce anything that doesn't resemble flag-waiving American propaganda when it comes to the conflict of terror, especially when it concerns Middle Easterners. Which is why I was hopeful that Rebel would offer something different. Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, they previously had the hard task of making Bad Boys relevant again (and succeeding). And yet, here their talent is even more obvious when it's free from the framework of a Hollywood blockbuster. The tone is deadly serious, it's gritty and harrowing, the cinematography will have you believe you're watching a big budget movie. Yet there are at least three musical and dance numbers seamless integrated within the story, which do not even seem out of place. I am not sure how they did that either, but it worked for me. Furthermore, there are many languages spoken in the movie, English being in the minority. This may admittedly jar a lot of moviegoers, yet I found it authentic. Overall, Rebel is epic from start to finish. Very few movies have recently moved me like this one. This is one of the strongest movies to be released in 2022.

I watched it with a friend in theaters expecting a low budget indie movie but this movie is something else entirely. I should have known that these directors never deliver a standard movie, with just a good story and great acting. If you have seen their previous work, you know what I mean. They take risks in terms of mixing genres that would not match on paper, working with unexperienced actors and do really cool stuff with the cameras, sound and editing. This time, they delivered their best work so far. Rebel is a movie like I have never seen before. Sure there are other movies about war in the middle east or about terrorism but this one changed my perspective and that's something. The story is told from multiple perspectives (2 brothers and their mother) which keeps it interesting throughout it's runtime. It is a high paced movie that delivers thanks to it authenticity: the actors speak in their native language (english is rare), explosions and scenes are the real thing and the story is raw and unforgiving. This is what you get when you give a talented crew a big budget and trust them that they deliver something unique and personal. I guess the name of the movie also applies to them. Rebel is a must-see and the best movie I have seen this year.

No pun intended as always. The movie is quite serious, so forgive me for still finding something (some call them dad jokes, not me though) to smile about. And when I say serious, some might even say dead serious. The movie that tackles Syria and the war within, has many more things to say! About family, about how people are drawn in to serve/work with or rather for ... people that pretend to care for you and your struggles ... but of course they don't really. What we get is a deep look into how people are brainwashed, but once inside get treated horrible ... to a degree where they are not able to get out. The hurt and pain one has gets exploited to the core (again no pun intended). I know that quite a few had this at their top of their 2022 movie list. I only was able to watch it the other day .. and I can see why they liked it so much. But while this stays mostly on the serious side, it also is able to pull off sing and dance numbers. Which is quite the incredible feat to pull off ... if you don't mind that, it is very well done. The main characters and their family connection is one thing - being annoyed or rather distressed by the lack of attention or help by the western world can backfire ... or as already said exploited by people who know how ... the will to survive might make you do things you don't want to. Including how you would treat others ... and if you show weakness (being kind would be one of the things considered that way) ... well there is no place for you ... only to be used for other purposes ... very ill intended ones ... family is big .. family is strong ... but family also makes you vulnerable to certain things ... you'll know what ... there quite a few booms ... none bigger than the one towards the end ...

This is the fifth movie from directors Adil & Bilall. Unfortunately they got their Batgirl movie cancelled. This is their most personal movie to date. It's clear they have done their utmost best to give a nice look into the world of IS-fighters, fighting a grime, heavy battle in Syria against Assad. The movie is raw, realistic, has some great fighting seens but the acting performances of the cast are really great. It's not a typical action movie, but an intense graphic view on the lives of IS-fighters from Belgium. Some very emotional scenes are cast as musical scenes with great music. Go and check out for yourselves.

This is by far one of the best movies to hit the theaters this year! I went in with only a basic knowledge of the premise, and I was truly impressed afterwards. The cinematography is superb. The war scenes in Syria really grab you by the throat and are visually stunning! The three main characters nail their part. Special shout out to Aboubakr Bensaihi for portraying such a difficult role with so much human heart. The soundtrack really adds to the atmosphere too. The only thing I disliked were the 'musical' moments, however there were done correctly in the setting and tone, but the epilogue kind of took away the shine of the climax.. I am also affraid this will pass under many people's radar, which is a shame because production value wise this looks straight up Hollywood, but the story will not appeal to mainstream US moviegoers. IF you read this review because you are in doubt, go and watch this NOW. It's nice to see movies from a different perspective as usual. You will not be disappointed! 9/10 highly recommended.

For the first time on screen we actually have a clear, unfiltered, raw and powerful look behind the still ongoing war in Syria that has started in 2014. It's without a doubt the best movie on ISIS. The movie brings every dark aspect of the war with a insane well written story of a young man traveling to Syria helping the local fractions to fight Assads troops but eventually ending up fighting for ISIS against his will. The incredible soundtrack brings the movie to another level and adds another deep layer to this already rich movie. The performance of the cast, especially the lead actor Aboubakr Bensaihi, was top notch. They've transcended themselves to show us the real life mechanism of ISIS layer by layer and it's ripping effect on migrant society in Europe in a baffling realistic way no viewer would be left untouched by their performance on screen. Through the fighting sequences, the feeling and heavyweight of these scenes were amplified to a extent that the viewer was sucked in the scene in a way that only grand directors are able to do. It really reminds me of Michal Mann or Hideo Kojima. It's without a doubt one of the most intriguing movies of the year and for me certainly worth a second view.