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London Film Festival: “Ajami” is intense, over-wrought

Mark Farnsworth is currently reviewing selected films from the London Film Festival.

The gangster travelogue continues its global tour by touching down in the mean streets of Jaffa with “Ajami.” Co-directed by a Palestinian and an Israeli, the film has remarkable credentials. Yet does it offer anything new, other than the Middle-Eastern setting?

Ever since “La Haine” was screened to French Government officials in 1995, the foreign crime film has become the de rigueur genre to highlight social injustice across the planet. It’s a phenomenon I’d like to call “Around the World in 80 Crime Flicks.” “City of God” and “Gomorrah” are some of the recent stand-outs in this genre, concerning Brazil and Italy respectively, and having been very well critically and financially well received. The debut filmmakers obviously hope for the same level of success for “Ajami.”

After an exhilarating start where a young boy is shot and killed by mistake, “Ajami” apes “City of God’s” nuclear powered pace but soon rejects it for the grubby stillness of “Gomorrah.” The murdered boy, Yihyah was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The bullets were meant for Omar, a double for the Brazilian footballer Ronaldo, and nephew to an uncle who foolishly shot a Bedouin gangster of the feared Abul-Zen Clan.

Omar and his family have to pay a complicated financial tribute to the Bedouin elders in one of the film’s standout scenes. The deal, brokered by an Imam, seems to fluctuate up and down at the whim of the holy man and the Abul-Zen Clan to the growing dismay of Omar and his powerful Christian Arab sponsor, Abu Lias. The final decision may as well be a death sentence for Omar and his younger brother Nasri.

Still from "Ajami"
Still from "Ajami"

From this point onwards, “Ajami” descends into familiar territory. Multiple characters criss-cross throughout the film in a non-linear narrative towards the obligatory tragic ending. Young Malek needs money for his mother’s operation, Binj is dating a Jewish girl and Israeli cop Dando is searching for his soldier brother, kidnapped whilst returning from duty. Dando’s story is all the more sobering with the video of Sgt. Gilad Shalit released by Hamas militants recently.

As worthy as ‘Ajami” is, as well shot and acted it may be, the directors simply crowbar too much content into its two hours running time and dilute the dramatic punch of the climax. Nasri’s comic strip storyboard of violent events is never fully explained, whereas Rocket’s photography in “City of God” is integral to the plot. Nasri narrates the film but is he the filmmaker? We’re never sure. Omar’s story is by far the most intriguing and should have been the main focus of the film. His quiet romance with Abu Lias’ daughter, stolen touches and longing glances, is carefully set up, but ultimately this plot line is just not handled with the finesse it deserves.

Still, the film’s narrative structure does conjure up enough tension and genuine surprise to keep the audience interested. Abu Lias in particular is a fascinating metaphor for the Christian West’s precarious role as mediator between the Palestinian and Israeli authorities. With “Ajami,” the occupied territories can be marked off of the atlas now. Who knows where the crime balloon will land next?

4 thoughts on “London Film Festival: “Ajami” is intense, over-wrought

  1. Thank your stars (or whoever or whatever) for living the life that enables you to see the aristic/original/… of what is the reality for some and fustration at one’s own inability to do anything about it even if you are not directly affected .

  2. Dear Sir,
    I envy you for the life (or outlook) which enables you to see only the qualities of the film without relating to the personal and social tragedy/ies. For me this is unfortunately the reality next door and a burden on my conscience (I too am an accomplice as a citizen of this country) as well as a source of enormous frustration at my inability to bring about a meaningful change.
    Sincerely,
    Miryam L.

  3. Thank you for your post Miryam.

    Have you seen the film?

    First Ajami is film and a good one at that but as an example of third cinema it didn’t affect me the way it should because of the crammed narrative. I didn’t care enough about the characters to be moved like I did with City of God for example.

    As for thanking my lucky stars well I wont apologize for where I was born. And I still work in the area where I was from-full of poverty, drugs, gangs, low expectations aswell as the most culturally diverse area of London. I can show empathy with the situation but if I were to just review films that were “the reality next door” to me the spectrum would be very narrow, as it would be for yourself.

    Film acts as a jumping off point for many and Ajami will become, no doubt, a great educational tool for kids I teach in the future. By addressing the problems it throws up in the classroom we start to break down barriers very very slowly.

    Will it be in my top ten list no. It wont even make my top 100. Have I got respect for the film makers and what they are trying to achieve -absolutely.

    I will be reviewing Lebanon later this week-let me know what you think.

    Regards Mark

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