At the end of the day, this is a very absorbing film. As it began, I thought the dialogue to be artificial, maybe it was the delivery, not sure, but I did not think some of what was said was "natural" or true to life, let me put it that way. I soon became uncomfortable watching, the sexual abuse scene was tough to take.
I tried to think back to what it was like at that age. Adults really do shape our lives when we are young-especially when we are pubescent. And the combination of naiveté's and curiosity is dangerous in the case of Jasira. However, I found it hard to believe that later in the film, this young lady would let her neighbor "rape" her. Somehow, she was smarter than that or at least she knew enough to be frightened. Was she that brave where she was willing to experience sex with a much older man? I cannot imagine such a sheltered kid being so. In any case, it is a good film if not shocking in its own way.
I take exception to the viewer/commenter who said that the father was a hypocrite,a Muslim who drank alcohol with his girlfriend. The father was a Catholic as most Lebanese happen to be and the fact was driven home in the film more than once a number of ways.. A Sign of the Cross by the father at dinner? Daughter telling her neighbor her father was a Christian? And wasn't the Virgin statue on the man's dashboard a clue in the movie early on?
I tried to think back to what it was like at that age. Adults really do shape our lives when we are young-especially when we are pubescent. And the combination of naiveté's and curiosity is dangerous in the case of Jasira. However, I found it hard to believe that later in the film, this young lady would let her neighbor "rape" her. Somehow, she was smarter than that or at least she knew enough to be frightened. Was she that brave where she was willing to experience sex with a much older man? I cannot imagine such a sheltered kid being so. In any case, it is a good film if not shocking in its own way.
I take exception to the viewer/commenter who said that the father was a hypocrite,a Muslim who drank alcohol with his girlfriend. The father was a Catholic as most Lebanese happen to be and the fact was driven home in the film more than once a number of ways.. A Sign of the Cross by the father at dinner? Daughter telling her neighbor her father was a Christian? And wasn't the Virgin statue on the man's dashboard a clue in the movie early on?