Makram Khoury Movies

In this HBO miniseries from directors Jim O'Hanlon and Alex Holmes (who also co-wrote and executive produced), the events of late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's life are retold from a perspective never before seen - the ever-shrinking inner circle of his once-mighty regime. The story opens in 1979, as Hussein (Igal Naor) seizes control of Iraq in a bloody coup. Later resting comfortably in his opulent palaces as he exerts his control over his cabinet and his people, the powerful tyrant clings to power for nearly twenty-five years. During that time, not even his family, including his first wife Sajida (Shohreh Aghdashloo), his oldest son Uday (Philip Arditti), his half-brother Barzan Ibrihim (Said Taghmaoui), or his mistress (and ultimately second wife) Samira (Christine Stephen-Daly) would be immune to his wrath. By speaking to the very people who were closest to Hussein during his lifetime O'Hanlon and Holmes are able to look past the politics, propaganda, and self-interests of outsiders to offer an unbiased glimpse into the life of one of the 20th Century's most controversial figures. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Much as Steven Spielberg followed 1993's special-effects blockbuster Jurassic Park with a far more downbeat and personal project later the same year, Schindler's List, in 2005 after tearing up the box office with War of the Worlds the director closed out the year with a powerful and thoughtful drama about the human costs of international terrorism. The 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, were supposed to be a peaceful gathering of outstanding athletes from around the world, but on September 5, the games took a sinister turn when eight masked Palestinian terrorists invaded the Olympic village, killing two Israeli athletes and abducting nine others. The kidnappers demanded safe passage out of Germany in addition to the release of Arab prisoners in Israeli and German prisons, but when they arrived at the Munich airport they were met by German police and military forces, and in the melee that followed, all nine hostages were killed. In the wake of the killings, the Israeli government gave Mossad, the nation's intelligence agency, a special assignment -- to track down and eliminate the Palestinians responsible for the death of the Israeli athletes. A young and idealistic Mossad agent (Eric Bana) is assigned to the four-man unit created to wipe out the Olympic terrorists, but while he believes in serving his country, as their bloody work goes on he begins to buckle under the weight of his work and wonders if he can morally justify his nation's acts of revenge. Munich also stars Geoffrey Rush, Daniel Craig, Mathieu Kassovitz, and Ciarán Hinds. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A Jewish-American woman still reeling from her breakup with her Spanish-Israeli fiancée hits the road with a middle-aged Israeli woman, who is looking to collect the 30,000-dollar debt owed to her by her husband's former business partner, and a Palestinian woman, who claims to know the elusive moneyman's whereabouts, in this road-trip drama from Kippur director Amos Gitai. In her efforts to escape the painful memory of her breakup with former fiancée Julio (Aki Avni), Rebecca (Natalie Portman) agrees to accompany Hanna (Hanna Laslo) on her arduous journey through Israel to the Free Zone -- a tax- and customs-free region where those from countries at war with one another amiably buy and sell cars -- in hopes of collecting a large debt owed to her by her ailing husband's business partner known only as "The American." When Hanna and Rebecca finally arrive in the Free Zone only to discover that Hanna's contact and money have mysteriously gone missing, a Palestinian woman named Leila (Hiam Abbass) agrees to lead the skeptical Hanna to both "The American" and Hanna's rightly due cash. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

In this religious drama concerning the struggle between science and faith, Olivia Williams plays Sharon Golban, an Israeli archeologist who discovers a skeleton within a tomb in Jerusalem. After an intensive study and the accumulation of more information, the bones begin to resemble the remains of Jesus Christ. At this news, the Vatican decides to send a young priest, Rev. Matt Gutierrez (Antonio Banderas), to investigate the problem and make sure the scientist's findings do not cause a stir. Meanwhile, a Palestinian shopkeeper (Makram J. Khoury) is caught between the church and Israeli society due to his finding of the bones: His basement led to the discovery. All of this poses a dilemma for the young reverend, who is forced to re-evaluate his own religion due to this new development's rewriting of the story of Jesus, which states that when his followers arrived at the tomb after crucifixion, it was empty. Written and directed by Jonas McCord, The Body is based on a novel by Richard Ben Sapir. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Based on the novel A Forbidden Love by Chayym Zeldis, this drama tells of a young Jewish Israeli soldier who meets up with his childhood Arabic friend and the two fall in love. Unfortunately, the couple must face a number of tragic circumstances as they attempt to be together in a religiously prejudiced and war-torn country. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi