Took my teenage son to see this movie this weekend (since if we're still in Iraq, Iran, Syria, etc. when he turns 18 he may need to know about the region) and we struggled through it together. When I say the word "struggle" I do not mean that the movie is not worth seeing. On the contrary I think it's an important educational lesson to the black and white thinkers of the world. The problem is that it assumes the viewer has a strong knowledge of the history of the region and the first half of the movie throws so much information at you that it's a chore to keep up with all the subplots. As the movie goes on however, it becomes apparent why the author and director felt compelled to present the movie this way. The reality of the Mideast and our policies towards it is that it extremely complex and that solutions to the problems must be analyzed on hundreds of fronts. The simplist of interactions weaves itself into something completely unexpected.

It shows the evolution of a "terrorist" from a simple economically depressed oil worker into a manipulated suicide bomber. It gives an insight into government regulators that, even though their intentions may start out as honorable, end up making extreme compromises in the interest of moving on to fight the next battle. It goes into the complex question of exactly what's in the best interest of our country in terms of which government leaders within the region to support and prop up. As a viewer, you'd imagine we'd naturally support the leaders that leaned towards democracy, women's rights, free enterprise. The movie however gives you compelling reasons why that goes against our business interests. It infers that forward thinking leaders are more inclined to deal their oil worldwide and not be as open to exclusive deals with American oil companies. The movie also shows the confusing role of Mideast intelligence officers and how they must walk this fine line between American interests which alienate them from the locals and the realities they actually see.

In short, I'd recommend this movie for anyone wanting more than simply an evening of escape or entertainment with the caveat that you're in for some real confusion and brain work and it will not be an easy movie to watch. However, the acting is amazing and compelling and, no matter your politics, it opens up you mind to some intriguing possibilities.

Art