The Syrian Bride

So, mostly we're supposed to be talking about new releases we see, but it is, after all, our blog, so we'll talk about what we want.

Like, say, The Syrian Bride.

This is a French/German/Israeli film that is set in a Druze village in the Golan Heights. Subtitled, so, if you don't read, you might have a hard time following...

The basic plot centers around a Druze woman, Mona (Clara Khoury) who is marrying a Damascus man, Tallel (Derar Sliman). The catch is that the Druze are claimed by both Israel and Syria, and, by marrying Tallel and crossing into Syria, Mona is giving up her right to cross back into the Golan Heights to visit her family.

Not really the perfect setting for a comedy. But comedy it is, mostly. The movie manages poignance by emphasizing the funny absurdities of bureaucratic and political squabbles. The main joke, if you want to call it that, is that polities, which ostensibly exist for the good of their peoples, are often structured in ways that make life difficult for all involved.

The best part of the movie is the final half hour, where the wedding parties gather on either side of the border and attempt to have a wedding.

Though it's called The Syrian Bride, the central figure is really Mona's sister, Amal (Hiyam Abbass), who manages to be a stabilizing voice of reason for her entire family, despite the fact that she herself is stuck in a woeful marriage to a disastrously stupid man, Amin (Adnan Trabshi). Abbass plays her part well, coming off as a classic, if not stereotypical, behind-the-scenes sort of strong woman. The neck that turns the head, perhaps.

All in all, a good viewing. Definitely recommended to those who enjoy foreign films, and also to those who have any particular connection to or interest in this particular area of the world.