The Insult: while Ziad Doueiri has some very fascinating things to say about present day Lebanon (for an outsider not knowledgeable of Lebanese issues, at least) and a powerful, believable starting point, the way the story evolves and escalates isn’t organic or convincing. The film courageously follows more closely the least sympathetic of the two central characters, but they are equally round and interesting to watch. Acting is solid: Adel Karam is a bit too large early on, but he settles in later on; Kamel El Basha’s performance is quieter, but he projects dignity and outrage throughout; Rita Hayek has a fine presence as well. Tommaso Fiorilli’s camerawork is dynamic, introducing movement to dialogue-heavy scenes that could turn tiresome otherwise.
The Insult (L’Insulte)
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