Plenty of violence. The movie is about Terror not about corny one line jokes or how menacing you can look. This is a movie well done, that will only get better in the sequel. It is as if there is more to be told about this intriguing and unknown gangsters. No night clubs where everyone knows your name. Family people with an agenda...so refreshing... excellent. This movie can be compared to Bourne Identity and Ronin where those movies were full of meaningless banter about who is to who and what is to what. None of that here. Very simple gangster life. Except the emotion is portrayed in the family of the lead actor. I can see a sequel to this movie on the level of GodFather II. With the budget and the right script these are the movies that are sleepers that can become big big hits!

When i was watching this movie, i was feeling the same, as i was watching a spy film. Nevertheless, some of the clues are not comprehensible at first sight, but it's not annoying. It's very notable, that Kechichian don't actually focus on Armenian-Turkey politics issues, however, it is insufficient action thriller. Kechichian managed to make unglamourized spy film, but it can be considered only as an alternative movie. I've found lots of similarities with such masterpieces of John Frankenheimer 'Ronin' and Doug Liman 'The Bourne Identity'. It's pity that i haven't found in "ARAM" auto chases, a real street skirmishes and a pair of famous actors as Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. On the contrary, where could we find such emotionless and equanimity of Simon Abkarian's face when he was killing turks...

Aram is a plot driven movie that does not completely focus on the Armenian issues regarding their relations with Turkey. It is actually a story of an Armenian family in France in which the two children, Aram and his brother, are part of a rebel group that try to kill some Turkish diplomats. However, the movie does not go into the Armenian-Turkish history but it focuses on the struggles of this Armenian family when the plans to kill the Turkish diplomat are met with violent opposition. It is a powerful movie even if you are not Armenian, in the sense that it deals with family issues in the face of a struggle.

The film just finished screening on cable TV Hot in Israel (February 26, 2005) which is in itself surprising, due to the content of the film which deals with subjects such as Armenian genocide and the assassination of Turkish secret agent in France by an Armenian freedom-fighter with the help of Kurds. With Mossad being the one behind the Turkish secret service's arrest of Abdullah Ochalan (Kurdish leader) in Europe - and with this film being shown in Israel - in itself makes an interesting statement. It is also a personal story of a man who's torn between the cause he is fighting for and his family. I must say I don't have an impartial opinion on this film because I am an Armenian, and the story relates to me in a special way. The film is certainly very well made, with cuts between two story lines, beautiful cinematography and acting. Its a rare piece of cinema, especially because not that many films are being made about the tragedy of Armenian people in Ottoman Turkey (over 1.5 million perished), with Ararat of Atom Egoyan and Mayrig by Henri Verneuil being the exceptions. I think more films should be made about this, especially if they are as good as "Aram".