MovieChat Forums > Infidel (2020) Discussion > Was actually a pretty good movie

Was actually a pretty good movie

posted 4 years ago by TearofLys (2398)
7 replies | jump to latest

The acting was solid, the characters had depth, and it wasn't the "All muslims are bad" that critics, who obviously haven't sen the movie, portray it as. Western Christians and Persian Muslims align to face an oppressive regime. Part of the reason I like this movie is I am a bit of a geopolitics nerd, and this movie reflects a very real state of affairs in Iran, where an iron-fisted theocracy oppresses a population where many just want basic freedoms available to those in most of the rest of the world. Since the Ayatollah took power, there have been protests about every decade ( 1999, 2009, 2019) , which were brutally repressed, with many of the protestors being killed or imprisoned. A video from the 2009 protests below

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36TbCPZGe5Y

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8292) 4 years ago

Interesting. I have been seeing ads for the film on Fox News; if not for that I wouldn't even know the movie existed. I like Jim Caviezel and your review is encouraging so I will have to check it out.

[–] liscarkat (16543) 4 years ago

I'm surprised it hasn't succumbed to Woke suppression.

[–] BourbonKing (5618) 4 years ago

I saw the movie but I disagree that it's not rooted in political agenda. This is very much a type of movie tailored to oppose the current Iranian regime, but as far as geopolitics are concerned it also leaves out other factors into why the regime in power maintains control and also the other extremist factions in Iran who also oppose the Ayatollahs.

It's also clever in its ability to make you think that US has never injected itself into other country's political fates, like the fact that the Shah of Iran being a puppet of the CIA after his regime assassinated the elected government that didn't favor US interests.

It should be of no surprise why so-called "Liberal" Hollywood shuns making movies about the US backing death squads in Central and South America to maintain US interests.

[–] TearofLys (2398) 4 years ago

"it also leaves out other factors into why the regime in power maintains control"

Because that is a depressing movie. The **truth** is these uprisings that happen every 10 years or so are brutally suppressed with thousands going to prison and/or being executed. So, the filmmakers rooted it in some truth (Oppressive Iranian regime that imprisons/kills political dissidents, uses Hezbollah to do a lot of its dirty work outside the country and makes up "spying" charges to imprison foreigners) but gave it a fictionalized happy ending jailbreak to sell some more tickets.

I was supposed to go to Lebanon for a wedding this summer and this current state of affairs is a big reason i didn't. The U.S. had just taken out Soleimani (who was briefly shown in the film), and I knew Hezbollah would love a chance to snatch up a big blonde American like me from the streets of Beirut if the chance presented itself.

[–] PrimeMinisterX (8292) 4 years ago

I went and saw it tonight.

I thought it was pretty good. Personally, as someone who is very concerned with the treatment of Christians in countries that are not friendly to Christianity, the religious elements appealed to me. However, I think that even if you put that aside it still works pretty well as a geopolitical thriller.

The casting and acting was quite good, the director clearly is skilled, and there is some great photography from the Middle East.

The RT score is only 58%. I think it should be higher and I wonder how many of those reviewers turned in negative reviews just because they dislike Christianity.

[–] GingerbreadPimp (1767) 3 years ago

I gave it a 4/10.

It certainly isn't as bad as some other faith based movies and has good performances, but from a directing and production stand point it's not very good. It's a shame too because this is a topic that certainly doesn't get explored a lot in film. I honestly just found the film to be pretty boring aside from a couple of scenes. It's not the horrible film some people are making it out to be just because they are anti-Christian though.

[–] urrutiap (952) 7 months ago

Besides the movie supposedly based on true events, i like it because Jim Caviezel is in it and its a decent kidnapping movie involving an american thats been abducted and about to be executed.

last time i watched a good jim Caviezel movie was passion of the christ which was years ago