Recently, I watched Cafe Society. Kristen Stewart is pretty good in that. However, reviewing a Woody Alan movie felt a little too unnecessary at the moment. Don't misunderstand me. I love Alan's movies. Some of which I'll cherish to my funeral pyre. That being said, I just don't feel up to criticizing his work. Not just yet. So, I went back and re-watched Camp X-Ray, a previous Kristen Stewart movie that was left aside to be reviewed later. Two years since Camp X-Ray, the actress has done a few notable films. What we see in Cafe Society is one of her best roles yet, but I think her character in Camp X-Ray still remains undoubtedly her best. Call me a sucker for drama, I give a lot of value to the emotional depth of the role when studying an actor performing it. Stewart playing an Army Private who is in-charge of a Guantanamo prison cell block is already a far more interesting setting than a secretary of Hollywood producer having an affair with her boss. Period. Private Amy Cole is a rookie in the best of sense - made to believe that every person behind those bars is a dangerous terrorist. Her training tells her not to trust them, let alone befriend them. But, she's a rookie after all. She's intimidated by the scale of operations at the prison. She's tormented and harassed by colleagues and supervisors. If she complains then it will be seen as a sign of her weakness. Its 'Few Good Men' all over! Gitmo is no place for weak. She comes across a prisoner Ali who at first seems to be every bit as crazy and violent as expected. Inevitably, Amy soon begins to doubt the entire purpose of detaining these men in such conditions. All layers of propaganda, slowly peels away from her eyes and that's when an odd friendship develops. A bond between a prisoner and the guard. There is an almost classic value to this plot; Like the Man in Iron Mask or De Profundis or a story out of Arabian nights. This film should be among top 50 prison movies of all time. Its both historically significant as well as artistically poignant.In a way you can see that Amy is as much a prisoner as Ali. In a hole like this, no one is really free. Prisoner Ali's role is played by Payman Moaadi and he is perfect. Balancing delicately between a vulnerable scholarly fellow and a prisoner hardened by the torment, Moaadi transforms the situation into a fantasy where he's a maverick heartthrob who excites his very captors. Well, particularly one who has even developed a romantic feelings for him. The fact that it is really hopeless makes it all the more precious. While the war on terrorism takes more lives and rids more people of their homes and self esteems, this movie is a gentle reminder that we may sweep it under the rug but there are collateral damages that we can not morally justify.

Review: I really enjoyed this movie because of the emotional content, and the fact that it shows the different sides to war but I can't see it going down well with Americans or anyone who is victims of terrorism. I think that audiences would have had more sympathy for Ali (Payman Maadi), if they knew if he was guilty or not, and I was surprised that he was able to have them in depth conversations with Cole (Kristen Stewart), with so many inmates close by. Anyway, the performances were great, especially from Payman Maadi, and the unique storyline did touch an emotional cord. Because of the political status about Guantanamo Bay and the fact that the world has mixed reviews about it, I'm not surprised that this film was kept under the radar. The director really did push the barriers by making a film about a relationship between an inmate and a guard but I liked the way that he showed an human side to a soldier, who could have easily felt remorse towards Ali after he covered her in poop. For a film that is mainly about 2 people, I really did enjoy it, and I have to commend Kristen Stewart for taking on a project that is completely out of her comfort zone. Enjoyable! Round-Up: Kristen Stewart, 26, first hit the big screen in 2002, in Panic room, playing Jodie Fosters daughter and then she went on to star in Cold Creek Manor, Zahara, Into The Wild and What Just Happened but she is mostly known for her role as Bella in the Twilight franchise. Since then, she has become an household name but I personally think that she acts the same in all of her movies, even though she has covered many genres. Anyway, this is the first film written and directed by Peter Sandler, who made this small film, interesting throughout. Kristen Stewart wouldn't have been my first choice to play a soldier but she completely transformed herself, which, surprisingly, worked. Budget: $1million Worldwide Gross: $61,000 (Terrible)I recommend this movie to people who are into their war/drama movies starring Kristen Stewart, Peyman Moaadi, Lane Garrison, Tara Holt, John Carroll Lynch and Anoop Simon. 6/10

The movie is about a young , low level female soldier from a small town. She is assigned to Guantanamo as a guard, and against rules, begins talking to and developing a friendship with a detainee. The set up has every reason to result in a really bad, cliché American film. I give great praise to the filmmakers for not falling into the predictable trap. You know the one "The girl guard rises above sexist insults to become the best of all the soldiers, kicking one of the bad guys in the testicles along the way". Instead, they actually made a good movie. Instead of pandering, they showed the woman as a flawed human being, a nice gal , but a victim of some of her own poor choices. For example , she invites an obvious jerk into the john with her at a party, and he ends up getting too rough. They are not implying she deserved it, but that she should have known better. Stewart does a good job as the hard working guard , who just "sucks it up" when she hits unfairness. They also allow her to make mistakes , like talking to a prisoners at all. The tension builds toward the end where one of the guard /detainee pair is going to do something drastic, and the other tries to help. It unfolds in an original way. I appreciate a movie where the male is not pure evil and the female is not pure good; people, and life are more complicated than that.

This really surprised me.Incredibly moving, brilliantly scripted and quite remarkable performances from the two main characters.The type of film that you might not watch if you simply read the description of it but turns out to be one you'll remember for a long time.It is even more of an achievement when you consider that the majority of the scenes take place between two characters stood on opposite sides of a door! Imagine having that set as a task for you and coming up with anything remotely interesting.I can't commend the direction enough and will look out for Peter Sattler movies in future.