Sami Samir Movies
Fresh off of their success with director Martin Scorsese's The Departed, star Leonardo DiCaprio and screenwriter William Monahan team with director Ridley Scott for this screen adaptation of David Ignatius' novel Body of Lies. When CIA operative Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) uncovers evidence indicating that a major terrorist leader may be operating out of Jordan, he enlists the aid of CIA veteran Ed Hoffman (Russell Crowe) in infiltrating the elusive saboteur's vast underground network. During the course of his dangerous mission, Ferris gradually comes to question how much he can trust his presumed allies -- who include not just Hoffman, but the outwardly helpful head of Jordanian intelligence as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, (more)
Australian-born Whale Rider sensation and Oscar nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes stars opposite Oscar Isaac in Lords of Dogtown director Catherine Hardwicke's dramatic account of the Annunciation, and the arduous journey of Mary and Joseph to give birth to baby Jesus. House of Sand and Fog's Shohreh Aghdashloo co-stars in a film with a screenplay by The Rookie and Finding Forrester scribe Mike Rich. Filmed in the village of Matera, Italy (a locale that has remained virtually untouched by modern progress and also served as the backdrop for Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ), and Quarzazate, Morocco, former production designer Hardwicke's film strives for authenticity in telling the Bible's most treasured tale. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keisha Castle-Hughes, Oscar Isaac, (more)
Israeli director Doron Eran attacks the subject of ritual female circumcision in his 2002 film God's Sandbox. Hunting for her runaway daughter Rachel (Orly Perl) in Sinai, well-to-do author Liz (Razia Israeli) finally locates her -- and her daughter's Bedouin boyfriend Mustafa (Sami Samir). Upon learning of Liz's profession, Mustafa recalls a tale from his youth about a beautiful, liberated woman named Leila (Meital Dohan) who fell in love with a Bedouin's son named Najim (Juliano Merr). Najim's father learns of the romance and the two are forbidden to marry as they had planned. Disregarding his father's and the tribe's decision, Najim and Leila are banished -- but are later tracked down so that Leila can be captured and forcibly circumcised, as custom dictates. Mustafa's tale causes an extreme reaction in Liz and she and her daughter are forced to come to terms with a secret her mother has long kept hidden. God's Sandbox was featured in the "Another View" section at the 2002 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. ~ Ryan Shriver, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Juliano Merr, Meital Dohan, (more)
Director Danny Verete's Yellow Asphalt is an anthology of three unrelated stories -- Black Spot, Here is Not There, and Red Roots, respectively. Though the characters and situations in each film are remarkably different (one chronicles the aftermath of a hit-and-run, another concerns an unhappy marriage within a tribal community, and the last follows a woman in a blatantly abusive relationship), the central plots always revolve around the clash of modern Israeli life with ancient nomadic traditions. Yellow Asphalt, unique for its sympathy toward the oppression of Middle Eastern women, took seven years to make, and features Zevik Raz, Moshe Ivgi, Tatjana Blacher, Abed Zuabi, and Motti Katz. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sami Samir, Raida Adon, (more)
