A House Divided
A House Divided
R | 01 January 2008 (USA)
A House Divided Trailers

An American Jewish man visiting Jerusalem for the funeral of his father gets sucked into a world of violent intrigue after meeting a mysterious, beautiful Palestinian woman.

Reviews
mirvat_ali

I loved this movie disregard previous hating comments!!! Its hard for both worlds to believe that this is possible, but it is and people need to make peace with themselves and others. This can never be allowed for either Jews nor Arabs that's why the Jews killed him but this more realistic and true.. Keep an open mind and than judge. The problem in today's world is not the people but corruption and politics both worlds can make peace with one another but ignorance and misguidance is whats blinding both sides. I really appreciate the director for his writing and direction in this movie again keep an open mind and please watch this movie.

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bilgerat99

This is not a typical "war movie" as depicted on the cover art. As others have already pointed out, this is a Romeo and Juliet story - set in the backdrop of the Arab-Israeli conflict.The film fleshes out the main characters with considerable subtlety in the first few minutes, (perhaps missed by some viewers); a Jewish-American man who is apathetic towards Judaism and a liberated "Palestinian"-Arab woman who is disenchanted with the leadership of her own cause and who idolized her Christian-Arab doctor mother. While these qualities are hammered home a little later in the movie, it is they that allow the protagonists, like many in real life, to ultimately step outside the supposed stereotypes of their respective cultures and seek a solution there to their dilemmas. The film also assumes that the viewer will be conversant with some of the history of the conflict and able to recognize major players, issues and themes without help from the movie itself.Strong acting from a solid cast including the wonderful F. Murray Abraham, excellent camera-work and some stunning scenery. Actual events are woven into the story; there is even some real-life action footage seamlessly entwined in the film and the considerable amount of action footage created by the filmmaker is very realistic and assured. Likewise, there are many memorable scenes of a more philosophical nature and much food for thought, all in addition to the love story that propels us through the scenery of conflict. (I actually coughed up an extra dollar to keep it an extra night in order to review some of them, like: the customs scene, the funeral rally and my favorite: grandfather and Romi going through the checkpoint.)The scene of the father and child sheltering behind a barrier is actual footage but the subsequent death of the child has been found to be a hoax, it is known as the "Muhammad al-Durrah incident". Those who see this based on the "Action" cover art will probably be sorely disappointed and might call it "cheesy" but for those with an interest in the issues - there are a considerable number of visual treats and much meat enclosed is within.Well worth a watch if you're interested in getting past the normal rhetoric and propaganda in the news and seeing some of the interior of the package.

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Eileen Prendergast-Apoe

Beginning of movie held some promise, very quick let down! The ignorance of the writer of this film in regard to the very nature of the essence of Islam, the laws within the religion, that ANY and EVERY Palestinian woman would know from her childhood up, and the experience of Jews at the hands of Christians over the centuries, make the premise absurd in regard to the actions and statements of the romantic development. While viewing this film, my husband and myself had to put it on pause repeatedly to laugh our selves silly. For instance, in what is supposed to be a romantically inspired moment, the Jewish man glibly declares, they could be Christian. Oh, for the love of Pete, NO Jewish person would EVER say such a thing glibly. If this film were shown in Israel, people would either rise to their feet, and leave the theater as rapidly as possible, or the audience would be howling with laughter during what are supposed to poignant scenes. The film was patently ridiculous, and lacking in believability. I was embarrassed for the author, and feared that whoever wrote such a devoid of actual understanding of these two religions values, customs and laws, must probably be an American. Only an American could be so saccharine sweet, and unfortunately uninformed in writing this piece of junk. I regretfully say this of a fellow countryman, as I am a very patriotic American myself. Nothing embarrasses me more than a fellow American who has little or no understanding of other cultures. This writer TRIES, but witheringly fails to understand the mid-east conflict as it actually is.

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sol1218

***SPOILERS*** Overly schmaltzy movie about a beautiful Palistinian lady doctor Joleh Khalid and a cute looking, with baby blue eyes, Brooklyn Jewish Harvard graduate student Romi Meir who meet and fall in love under the most unusual circumstances.Romi traveling to Israel to attend his father's funeral who was killed in a PLO suicide bombing of a Israeli bus was recruited by his cousin Muki into the top Israeli spy agency the Shin Bet in order to track down his father's killers. Romie going undercover as an Arab baker instead falls in love with PLO member Joleh Khalid a doctor at a Palistinian hospital in the town of Ramallah on the Israeli occupied West Bank. It's when Romi's identity is revealed, by Muki trying to get him out of harms way, that Joleh's hot headed PLO boyfriend Bashan, who looks like a cross between Andrew Dice Clay and Saddam Hussein, make a serious attempt to break up the couple by knocking off Romi where he at least expects it: At the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem!At first the movie "A House Divided" holds your interest in the Romeo & Juliet love affair between the two love birds , Romi & Joleh, love affair. It's only when Romi's is revealed as being Jewish that it starts to have a false ring to it. Why would Joleh who only knew Romie for less then two day fall heads over heels in love with him! Her boyfriend Bashan had far more things in common with her, besides being a strapping and good looking young Arab man, then Romi ever did!***SPOILER*** As we all could see the affair was doomed right from the start but it took almost the entire film for both Romi & Joleh to finally realize that. It's when Joleh faked her death,in order not to be forced into an arranged marriage, without Romi knowing it that it made things even worse for the love sick couple! Taking it out on God for not coming to Joleh, who faked having OD's on drugs, rescue Romi ends up making a complete and utter fool of himself, in front of the Wailing Wall, thus leaving himself wide open for the sharp shooting sniper Bashan, dressed up as a Hassidic Jew, to get a clear shot at him! That just as Jolen shows up, from the dead,to prevent it from happening. This ended a love affair that was never meant to be and that was doomed to failure before it even began.

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