I live and work in Lebanon for already a decade, so I'm well accustomed to local ways and habits, frequently "justified" through common phrases of the following kind: "This is Lebanon… Only in Lebanon… Welcome to Lebanon!"

In my ongoing increased attendance to movie theatres, and exposure to current repertoire, "The Insult" (original title "L'insulte", literal English translation of Arabic title "Case No. 23") (2017), was my last choice. Now that I've seen it, I realized that it should've been the first! Namely, while other feature movies from the contemporary repertoire, even those allegedly inspired by true events, are mostly telling excessively exaggerated, hard-to-believe stories, revolving around almost out-of-this-world heroes, thus flooding the A-movie market with commercial exploitism, otherwise exemplified in low-budget films, "The Insult", based on deeply insightful screenplay written by Ziad Doueiry and Joëlle Touma, and compassionately directed by the former, is richly soaked into (Lebanese) reality.

What starts as an every-day incident (cited in the title) in an average Beirut neighbourhood, within minutes grows into a bigger conflict between two ostensibly unreasonably stubborn personalities, and spirals out of proportion to a high-profile courtroom drama and a matter of an almost utmost national interest.

What happens here is not unknown (m)anywhere else in the World. It's only that in Lebanon it has greater gravity and impact due to well-advertised, for more than half a century closely monitored, media covered multitude of regional and local political problems, ever so easily reviving and fuelling age-old animosities based on ethnic, religious and sectarian antagonisms, as well as rivalries between the autochthonous communities and migrants--whether economic immigrants, or internally and externally displaced refugees--ergo plethora of political, economic and humanitarian challenges.

Actors did a good job, and although sometimes way to eloquent and theatrical, especially, not unexpectedly, lawyers in the courtroom scenes, at least they provide ample historical background which could explain but not justify all the buildup subsequent to otherwise an ordinary incident. However, silences and exchanged glances between conflicting protagonists, Toni, a Lebanese Christian (Adel Karam), and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee (Kamel El Basha), often speak even more than words!

The very ending is a bit vague, but so is the broader context, involving multifaceted interests, creating tensions, eternal conflicts whatsoever, sadly, with no solution in sight, neither at present, nor in the foreseeable future?

As it was mentioned by the end of the movie… nobody has monopoly for suffering. I would like to add… for happiness, neither, which makes it even harder to accept endlessly ongoing bitter realities people of (not only) Lebanon have to live.

All in all, "The Insult" is a fine courtroom drama, which keeps you at the edge of the seat. It is an almost perfect Lebanese movie, fairly cut even for international audience, well worth seeing.

The Insult is the definition of a great cinematic achievement. It is the new movie directed by Ziad Doueiri and tells the story of Toni a Christian Lebanese who got into a fight from an insult blown out with a Palestinian plumber. Haunted by their past and the civil war, they went really far with it and the movie took unexpected turns and surprises. Doueiri and Touma wrote a splendid courtroom drama script that is really tense, exciting and really fair for the two sides. It reminded me of the great Sidney Lumet movies with a touch of political background. That film has great characters rich with backup stories and it wouldn't be great without the marvelous cast. Each actors gave an Oscar worthy performance. Thumbs up for Karam, Hayek and Diamand Bou Abboud. I must give credits to Camille Salemeh because he led the show for sure! Doueiri worked hard on letting the actors give their best for the characters. Cinematography and score were also on a high level here! Doueiri is a superb director. His debut West Beirut has always been every Lebanese's favorite. The Insult was competing in Venice (It won best actor for Kamel Basha and had a 5 minutes standing ovation), Telluride, TIFF and it the official submission for Lebanon at the Oscars for best foreign language movie. Daring, bold and smart, this movie is big step forward for the Lebanese cinema.

What a tour-de-force! What a triumph! What a masterpiece! I haven't seen such a powerful movie in years. This is the kind of movie you come across so very rarely, that shakes you to your very core, makes the art of cinema worthwhile and reminds you why you fell in love with the motion picture in the first place.

Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri needs no introduction, having directed a series of successful films over the years. While "West Beirut" will forever remain my favorite movie, his latest effort, "The Insult", further confirms his skill as a talented storyteller. In short: it's one of the most intense Lebanese movies I've ever seen. What makes "The Insult" so good is the way Doueiri takes a seemingly ordinary situation and builds a web of suspense around it. Adel Karam (in one of the best performances of his career) plays Toni, a Lebanese christian who can't seem to let go of the past. One day, he gets into a heated argument with a Palestinian worker (played by an excellent Kamel El Basha), which leads to a domino-like sequence of unpredictable events. Doueiri masterfully explores the dark side of each character, especially as it relates to patriotism, politics, and the consequences of taking revenge. I'd say this is Doueiri's specialty, and the sense of discomfort he creates throughout this exceptional film will hold you in its grip at every turn. And when it ends, it leaves us with much food for thought, something that's been missing from most recent Lebanese films. Having been criticized so many times for not supporting local movies, it's refreshing to finally encounter something worth recommending. Ziad Doueiri's "The Insult" is a terrific achievement.

A superbly constructed and written, excellently directed and wonderfully acted film. It is specifically about Lebanon, but the kind of conflict it depicts, and the attitudes taken up by the antagonists, could and do flare up anywhere. The film is even-handed in depicting the factions. Everyone has their reasons, their justifications, their excuses. The full gamut of society, from President to car mechanic, is involved, implicated, complicated. Certainly one of the best movies I've seen this year.

Greetings again from the darkness. When a film opens with a statement that 'the views expressed are those of the authors and director, and not of the government of Lebanon', one quickly understands the difference in artistic freedom in that country versus what occurs in the United States, where cartoons and memes regularly poke fun at this country's President. Director Ziad Doueri and his co-writer Joelle Touma present an intense story of human nature that might happen anywhere, but since the leads are a Lebanese Christian and a Palestine refugee, that opening statement is warranted.

One morning, a seemingly innocuous exchange between Tony (Adel Karam) and Yasser (Kamel El-Basha) takes place. While watering flowers on his balcony, the overflow sprays Yasser on the street below. Yasser, a city contractor, orders his team to fix the drainage issue, and Tony reacts violently - leading to Yasser delivering the titular insult. From there, all heck breaks loose. Apologies are requested and never delivered. Appeals to rational reconsideration are made. Tony's pregnant wife (an excellent Rita Hayek) pleads with him to let it go. Yasser's boss threatens him with termination. Still, two stubborn and prideful men refuse to give in.

The subsequent courtroom drama feature other side stories, not the least of which is the relationship between the two opposing attorneys (Diamond Bou Abboud and Camile Salaheh), one a rising legal star and the other a veteran attempting to make up for a past failure. Emotions run high as two too-proud men turn what was little more than a playground standoff into a national incident being fought in the legal system and the media. Tony is a hot-head who somehow thinks an apology from Yasser is actually an apology for how Palestinians "messed up this country". Yasser's stoic nature barely shrouds his bitterness at the world since the Lebanon Civil War. History and childhood roots play a role, but mostly it's human nature that is at the core of this escalation.

Though the title is not plural, there are multiple insults slung throughout the film, each reminding us of the power of words and the futility of the "sticks and stones" phrase. Our own prejudices and preconceptions alter our views and reactions, often preventing us from standing in the other fellow's shoes. Again, this situation could have played out in most any neighborhood on the globe, but this particular locale shows various ethnic and religious groups are still grappling with what it means to live together - despite the years of wars and unrest. We don't see a great deal of Middle Eastern cinema, but three days after I watched this film, it became the first ever movie from Lebanon to receive an Oscar nomination (Best Foreign Language Film) ... proving yet again that the language of cinema is universal.

The original Lebanese title, "Case No. 23," plays to the domestic audience because it emphasizes the courtroom drama. That's the personal story. The English translation works better for the international audience. The broader reference suggests the film's application to the whole of the warring Middle East. That society is so obsessed with honour that it is paralyzed by any "Insult," real or perceived. The Palestinians' shame at the Naqba, their failure to have prevented the creation of Israel, still prevents their negotiation of a peaceful coexistence. Israel hovers at the margin here, cited as the Arabs' common demon. Ariel Sharon is a curse. The Palestinians' ultimate insult is to declare the Christian Arab a Zionist - or at least, an enabler of Israel. The film's central insults are exchanged by a Christian Arab mechanic, Tony, and a Palestinian refugee, construction foreman Yasser. Their war starts small enough: Tony has an illegal pipe, which soaks Yasser. After insulting Tony Yasser repairs the pipe, which Tony smashes. Both heroes find our understanding. The Palestinian may be given the greater sympathy and he's played as a more thoughtful, flexible figure. But the revelation of the Christian Tony's past enhances his character too. Both men prove victims of their respective people's history. For both, their history tempts them to blame all their own failure son that unfortunate history and their old enemy. The two trial scenes are superb drama. In each the magistrate conducts an intensive, searching examination of the case. The first bogs down when neither the plaintiff nor the accused stoops to repeat the insult that prompted Yasser's attack. The second trial reaches the same conclusion but with more satisfactory effect. Indeed, the losing side now seems as satisfied with the verdict as the winner. That's because Tony has had his story told too, his anger and indignation explained in context. In the lawyers' summary, each makes the other's case. The antagonism turns into understanding. Apart from the trials, the principals' true reconciliation happens in two scenes outside the court, before the verdict. In the first Tony casually helps his enemy restart his car. In the second, Yasser baits Tony into punching him, so he goes into the court with his own aching pair of ribs. An eye for an eye, a rib for a rib. At the end, after all the screaming, indignation and violence, the reconciliation is the men's silent, long-distance lock of the eyes. Both heroes - and their respective gangs of followers - carry the weight of history. Both have suffered violence, prejudice, victimization, which their self-respect challenges them to remember. Both men suffer increasing and increasingly harsh consequences for their intransigence. The film's message is the need to acknowledge the historic conflict, to recognize the long period of inhumane abuse, but to turn the page, to move on, to find a way to make a mutually respectful peace. Again, the implication is that this message extends beyond the film's conflict between Palestinian and Christian to include the Jewish state as well. There's an additional frisson when Yasser's lawyer is revealed to be Tony's more famous lawyer's daughter. This generational tension replays the theme of moving on from the past. Both the woman lawyer and the woman chief judge tacitly personify the new Middle East, the emergence of empowered womanhood in that archly patriarchal society.

The movie is set in Lebanon, and based on real Lebanese problems. However, the setting could be in another country, another time, with two other groups that hate each other. It is about the universal problem of wrath and resentment boiling over. The movie is well done, with some unnecessary dramatic flourishes - the story is dramatic enough in itself and didn't need these additional items (Don't wish to say what exactly in order not to have any spoilers). In any case it deserves its Oscar nomination.

THE INSULT- 90% I was quite annoyed as i wanted to be the first Lebanese filmmaker to have an Oscar nomination but this movie is very well deserved for its nomination. The story and the way it was structured was absolutely perfect. The main two actors were very impressive which balanced other weaker actors. The cinematography is basic but effective. Adel Karam is quite the actor. The conflict in the story is very intriguing and Raw. I am so glad that a Lebanese movie was finally showcased in the world and I only dream of more to come. The history of Lebanon is so diverse and emotional that I am surprised that there aren't at least 40 movies related to all the conflicts lebanon had to withstand. The character development was shown in simple glimpses of certain situations. I was also happy that the director Ziad was not biased towards a certain character but was enriching and compassionate with both of them. The message in this movie is what was so astounding: "Despite out experience, ego, and pride, we are all in this together." A must see. Story wise and execution: 35/35 Acting: 21.6/25 Camera Work: 16.8/20 Sound: 16.1/20

I imagine "The Insult" will inspire strong feelings among certain viewers who have a close connection to the topic, and especially those from parts of the world that feel strongly one way or another about the Palestinian conflict. Most of the rest of us will probably learn a little something about the cultural and religious conflict between Lebanese Christians and Palestinians, something Americans (where I'm from) certainly don't ever learn much about unless we actively seek it out.

I very much enjoyed "The Insult" and I appreciated its attempts to be objective about a topic that most people who are directly affected by it can't be. People don't generally like to hear that there is often not a right or wrong side to a given issue but rather a vast middle area of gray, especially not in our current world climate where there's a "with us or against us" mentality about most things. But while I appreciated the film's approach, I couldn't help but feel it had a little bit of an after school special quality about it, a kind of preachy "can't we all just get along" tone that I don't necessarily disagree with but which feels a bit naive and facile in our extremely complicated times.

A worthy effort and one that has a lot to recommend it. It just didn't hit it out of the ball park.

Grade: A-

Lebanese Director Ziad Doueiri's previous movie THE ATTACK (one of the finest in recent years) took an explosive terrorist event and scaled it down to the individual level with an Arab surgeon in Israel discovering a personal connection within his own family. THE INSULT takes the opposite tack - a simple argument that escalates and threatens to de-stabilize the entire nation.

The initiating incident couldn't seem more trivial. A construction worker Yasser (Kamel El Basher) stands under a porch and water leaks on him. He confronts the home owner Tony (Adel Karam). They exchange words - and a vulgar insult. Despite pleas from both men's wives and a sympathetic foreman for an apology, instead, we get another insult -- and, a rib-breaking punch thrown by Yasser. The case goes to trial in Beirut, and it soon becomes clear that this isn't just a neighborhood squabble, nor a simple matter of 'fighting words' (a phrase not used in the movie, but it perhaps best describes what American law would term it). Yasser is a Palestinian and Tony is Christian with strong political views. The trial becomes a symbol to the entire country of Lebanon, with fistfights and threats, starting within the courtroom and then spreading through the nation.

Doueriri (a former assistant to Quentin Tarantino) and Co-Writer Joelle Touma certainly keep the proceedings captivating and intense. Unfortunately, there is much hectoring and it can seem as if the movie itself is yelling at the viewer. If you think courtroom dramas have too many 'Perry Mason' moments, wait until you see THE INSULT. Melodramatic or not, the movie remains compelling (there is also a delicious twist with the lawyers representing the men). In between the angrier sequences, there are some where we see the issues that both men (and the region) are brought to bear. Those scenes are the ones to savor most.

Both THE ATTACK and THE INSULT have found Doueiri of being a traitor - by Palestinians, Christians, Muslims and Jews alike. The movies have found themselves banned in several areas, despite world-wide acclaim (THE INSULT is Lebanon's official Oscar entry, and has been short-listed for a nomination as of this writing). Cynically, one can say he's doing 'something right' if he's angered all sides. While THE INSULT is too unsubtle to match the power of THE ATTACK, it is certainly one of the most palpable movies of the past year.

This is a simple movie yet complex, it builds up in a very beautiful and smooth way to highlight big issues still found in the Lebanese political structure from the civil war that we have forgotten about. The acting is one of the best I've seen since "West Beirut" ! Recommended !

"I wish Ariel Sharon wiped you all out" Tony (Adel Karam)

Tony, a Lebanese Christian, shouts this insult at Yassar, a Palestinian refugee, that, together with the epithets Yassar had called to him, prompts a court proceeding in diverse Beirut, creating a national interest and hatred that would foment.

The half million Palestinians in Beirut and the multiple sects of Christians are not going to be appeased by any court decision that doesn't support their cause. Consequently writer/director Ziad Doueiri and writer Joelle Touma, both responsible for the stunning The Attack (2012), craft a heavily figurative and entertaining courtroom drama that clearly and forcefully lays out the history and contemporary contempt of Lebanese and Palestinians. The proceedings also emphasize the humanity that underlies the conflict.

The two principals are very different men: Tony is a garage mechanic and owner, a hothead with a big chip on his shoulder about Palestinian incursions (no mention here about the currently millions of Syrian refugees); Yassar is an engineer, seemingly even tempered, who heads a team of workers charged with fixing buildings that need to be up to code.

Both men have reasons to hate each other in circumstances that require a careful treatment by the justices. With the two men, there is no nuance or subtlety. With the court, empathy and rationality are required. Throughout, the filmmakers allow us to enjoy the legal jousting while gaining sympathy for both sides of the ethnic animus.

The dynamic Insult deserved every bit of its Oscar nomination for best foreign language film. While some might complain the treatment is simplistic and Tony too headstrong, it's still powerful cinematic drama and respectful of the differences that make wars.

"Insults are the arguments employed by those who are in the wrong." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

"The Insult" (2017 release from Lebanon; 112 min.) brings the story of Tony, a Christian Lebanese, and Yasser, a Palestine refugee and long-time resident of Lebanon. As the movie opens, we see Tony at a rally of the Christian party in Beirut. When Tony gets back home, he spends time with his highly pregnant wife Shirine. Them by accident, and resulting from a faulty drainpipe on his balcony, he wets Yasser, a foreman in a construction crew that is repairing buildings in the neighborhood. One thing leads to another, and Yasser calls Tony a "f---ing prick". Tony is outraged, and decides to pursue the matter. At this point we are 10 min. into the movie, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest movie from accomplished Lebanese writer-director Zid Doueiri, who previously has brought us excellent films like 2012's "The Attack". Here Doueiri brings another heavily politicized tale that pushes all the right buttons, this time pitting Arabs against Arabs. I must admit that I wasn't really aware of this, but if we believe what Doueiri portrays in this film, there is a deeply-seeded resentment within the Lebanese Christian community against the many Palestinians what have over the years crossed into Lebanon and settled there. Central to the film are the long court proceedings that eventually take place between the two protagonists. I shan't say much more (biting my lip)! But I will say this: the movie flies by in no time. When the Best Foreign language Oscar nominations were recently accounted, I was a bit surprised to see that this was nominated. Now that I have seen the film, I can't help but feel whether this was nominated more for political reasons that for pure artistic reasons. Not to imply that "The Insult" is not a good movie, but in my humble opinion there are other foreign language movies from last year that seem to be more deserving, such as "Thelma" (from Norway). "B.P.M." (from France), or "The Commune" (from Denmark), just to name those.

"The Insult" opened in early February at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati, and I couldn't wait to see it. The Super Bowl Sunday matinee screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely, somewhat to my surprise. Glad to see there seems to be a strong interest for this! If you are in the mood for a highly charged and political drama that pits Christian Arabs against Palestine Arabs, you cannot go wrong with this, so I encourage you to check out "The Insult", be it in the theatre, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion...

I am Lebanease,I Am only 15 years old so I don't understand so much in Politics and other things.When I Watched this Movie,I Was Amazed in Ziad Doueiri's Work.He's an amazing man,After this amazing movie full of amazing direction and an amaZing plot and very strong characters I Really knew the importance of the ground that I Belong to I don't have words to describe my feeling to this realistic movie,Finally I Can Say that we Are proud to have Such Movie in Our Country and such an amazing Director and strong Characters

Brilliant script, visual story-telling, and cast. Adel Karam, Kamel el Basha and Rita Hayek, among others, give outstanding performances. From his debut with West Beirut, Doueiri has proven a great cinema maker. Lila ça dit was another marvelous work. I only lament that his films are so few and far between, no doubt due to funding challenges.

The poster for The Insult, nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, doesn't quite do the product justice. It makes the film look like a simple tragic drama; in fact The Insult builds on its intriguing premise of a simple insult escalating, and balances feelings of remorse, tensions and even comedy and absurdity in a brisk tone and style. A film where the prosecutor and defense are father and daughter, and the shock reveal, is a film that isn't totally taking itself seriously. But it reflects on very serious wounds in the past and the lack of reconciliation after, a followup to a tragic story previously depicted in an earlier Oscar nominee Incendies. But Incendies was Canadian and The Insult is actually Lebanese, the first Lebanese film to be nominated, and it speaks in a national voice.

With only some minor violence, The Insult's story largely escalates in the courtroom, and anyone interested in courtroom films will find this great material. I had to stop myself from saying "courtroom drama," because again, it's not only that. The absurdities provoke laughs, the drama provokes thought, and The Insult has something for everybody, even people who know little about Lebanon (The film itself explains much of the gaps in knowledge for the viewer).

A Lebanese movie perfectly describing the situation in Lebanon after the war...

Even the smallest of incidents carry unseen baggage. Antagonists: A Christian and a Palestinian refugee in Beirut, Lebanon and a trivial event between them escalates into insults and more as they personify historical events that reach far beyond their own lives. And, how interchangeable the positions of religions are at interpreting the same events. The film suggests that no one has a monopoly on suffering, but I disagree i.e. looking at Palestinians & Israelis the number of killed on both sides since 2000 (10,000 vs. 1200), and since the 1950s looking at maps showing the "acquisition" of Palestinian land by Israel. Analogous to American Native peoples forcibly moving all non-Native Americans onto one of our smaller states.

After an emotional exchange between a Lebanese man (Adel Karam) and a Palestinian refugee (Kamel El Basha) escalates, the two end up in a court case that gets national attention.

"L'insult" ("The Insult") is Lebanon's official submission for the best foreign language film in this year's Oscar race. They have tried to achieve getting nominated for 14 times in the last 40 years, and this is the first successful attempt.

I would call it a solid mix of social commentary and courtroom drama but can't find inspiration to write about the experience at length.

Maybe it's a brave movie by Lebanese standards, depicting the long-standing tensions between nationals and refugees, but it seems pretty mainstream work compared to the standards set by American or international movies.

The screenplay is certainly intelligent but doesn't feel especially original or deep - just a relevant topic and quite a simple story well told.

The clever part is showing how loaded issues start a life of their own fast and may travel far beyond the point that the instigators intended.

Still, the undoubtedly strongest point of it all is the captivating, understated acting by two leads which gives even the smallest events a hefty bunch of suspense. The performances feel more Oscar-worthy than the whole thing itself, really.

All in all, "L'insult" is an agreeable submission for Oscar race, but I'd rather vote for Russian "Loveless" or Chilean "Una mujer fantástica" ("Fantastic Woman"). Both feel stronger and more ambitious dramatically and artistically, also partially cover the same topics of irrational hate and possibility of redemption.

Of this year's five foreign language movie noms, I haven't yet seen Hungary's "On Body and Soul".

One goes too far and those words did one must expect a reaction It's normal It's inevitable.It's human nature. To settle a dispute in a respectful manner consider an apology is not a sign of weakness, but a sign of decency. An apology.Plain and simple.

I was expecting a lot more of a film that was nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film, and I'm surprised that as of this writing (about 20 reviews), only one IMDb review was negative. I'm sure a film like this in Lebanon is groundbreaking, but researching this film on IMDb, it looks like it didn't even win any awards in the Lebanese version of the Oscars, although nominated. I don't know exactly what is allowed in a Lebanese courtroom, but it seemed there was a lot of unrelated issues being litigated, which didn't seem very believable. The film was just too heavy-handed and melodramatic for me.

The one positive thing I'll say about this movie is Rita Hayek, who has the possibility of being a real breakout star in international cinema if that's something she wants. She can act, and is gorgeous.

It is never easy to review a film against the grain. With critical acclaim and awards piling up,The Insult (2017)is a well-timed film in a global context of disharmony over refugees and immigration. While if offers many insights into the nature of human conflict, it is also heavy-handed with its lessons on sectarian intolerance. Being an important film is not the same as being a great one.

The story trajectory is simple. Tony (Adel Karam) is a Lebanese Christian who lives with his pregnant wife in a small flat in Beirut. Working on the street below, Palestinian refugee Yasser (Kamel El Basha) is splashed by an illegal drainpipe from Tony's flat. An argument ensues, Yasser uses a coarse expletive, and an apology is sought. The company employing Yasser tries to negotiate an apology, but when they meet Tony declares "I wish Ariel Sharon had wiped you all out" and Yasser punches him. Soon they are in court, and media attention transforms the personal insult into an example of racial conflict between the majority Lebanese and the minority Palestinians.

This is really two different stories intertwined as one. Whilever the focus is on the actual insult and its attempted repair, the film has a strong forward narrative with many insights into the spiralling nature of human conflict. However, in the second half, the film leaps with disproportionately large steps into the endless conflict since the 1948 Arab-Israeli war and hate speeches by various leaders over several decades. The film presumes an audience that has some grounding in the historical complexities of the region. If they do not, it may be challenging to identify the "good guy" and the "bad buy" especially in light of their respective political baggage. The task of following the film is made more difficult by the speed with which the sub-titles must be read to keep pace with the anger-laced dialogue.

Despite these issues, The Insultleaves a strong impression. Authentic actors, a dramatic style of cinematography, and a shooting location that has natural ownership of the story, all combine to provoke thought about its subject matter. Although hardly entertainment, it is a voice for a cause even though many Westerners will be uncertain what that cause might be.

Film has always been an important carrier of socially significant messages. Where this occurs within a narrative framework it adds to a film's achievement. But when it occurs outside that frame it enters a didactic space which exploits the narrative to deliver polemic. By entering this domain, The Insultbecomes a lecture in sectarian politics and history. With a more subtle directorial touch, the film could have shown it's message instead of shouting it.

Subtitles are in a small, white font which is often imossible to read against the light-coloured backgrounds.

One of this year's Foreign Language Nominees at the Academy Awards, 'The Insult' is a heartbreaking story about divide, hate & circumstances. Made with the sharp vision of Writer-Director Ziad Doueiri, this is a film made with a beating heart & a sensitive mind.

'The Insult' Synopsis: After an emotional exchange between a Lebanese Christian and a Palestinian refugee escalates, the men end up in a court case that gets national attention.

'The Insult' is a deep insight into a common insult between two men. One is a Lebanese Christian & the other a Palestinian Refugee, both complexed & equally haunted souls, who stumble upon each other on a regular day & end up offending each other. What follows is a messy court case & the circus around it, which in turn, is a strong portrayal of the cultural differences, the hate that has followed on for legacies & the circumstances caused by people itself, who for the worse, have given in to their emotion of hate.

Ziad Doueiri, along-with co-writer Joelle Touma, Writes a Screenplay that captivates & disturbs to equal effect. The motive of its strong Writing is clear: This story is important & it needs to told. The Screenplay is a protest towards hate & the people who are spreading hate now as we speak. Ziad Doueiri's Direction is subtle, but highly commendable. Cinematography & Editing are perfect. Art & Costume Design are decent.

Performance-Wise: Kamel El Basha & Adel Karam, both, are excellent. Both the actors portray intensity & genuine emotion, without ever missing a single beat. Rita Hayek does a wonderful as Karam's wife. Others lend remarkable support.

On the whole, 'The Insult' is an important story told with sensitivity & command. Don't Miss It.