Film: Omar

Well, it's about time I got to see Omar. It's been at or near the top of my list since last week, and I finally got around to it last night. Only showing, like the film the night before, in the Odeon Panton Street.

I forgot to mention, in my last post - when I was describing directions to here - when you're exiting Piccadilly Circus station for Haymarket, don't take the Haymarket exit. It just brings you up through Cool Britannia - which is fine if you want to buy something, but is otherwise irritating. Come up through the Eros exit instead - this brings you up by the Eros fountain, which is just a few yards further along.

After last night, I've finally earned enough Odeon points for a free film. :-) Although, knowing my luck, it'll be ages before I go to the Odeon again..

Right then, to the film. Kudos to the filmmakers. This is, without doubt, the paciest and most exciting thriller I've seen in YEARS! The action centres on Omar, a young Palestinian fellow living in the West Bank. By and large, he's an upstanding citizen. He holds down a steady job, and he fancies the pretty sister of a childhood friend of his. He's been carefully saving money to build a home for them, so he'll have the right to ask for her hand in marriage.

Thing is though, her brother is leader of the Jerusalem branch of the PLO. Or some offshoot of it. Anyway, he ropes Omar and another childhood friend into an attack on an Israeli army base, during which they shoot and kill a soldier. Predictably, all hell breaks loose. Shin Bet comes looking for suspects, and Omar is arrested, incarcerated, and rather graphically tortured. He's not the one that pulled the trigger, but he won't betray his friend, of course. Here begins a game of cat-and-mouse, with the Israelis trying to get him to give up his friends, and his friends wondering whether he's already done so. Meantime, he's afraid to tell his girlfriend anything, she's beginning to wonder what he's hiding, and we, the audience, are left completely unsure which side he's going to come down on! Or indeed, who's really telling the truth at all.

It's pacy, as I say; it's exciting, and the chases take place on foot through the back alleys of the West Bank. And on top of walls, and on rooftops. Omar is spectacularly good at free-running, might I add. All that climbing that he has to do over the separation wall, to see his girlfriend, undoubtedly helps. And for all the gritty story of the fighting and imprisonment, there's a parallel love story that's really sweet, betraying what a young lad he really is.

Go see this if you get the chance, it's excellent.

Of course, it was over too late to do the blog last night, hence the delay. Tonight, the plan is to head back to The Scoop, weather permitting - it was looking iffy, but thankfully it's brightening up now. It's a production of Kiss Me, Figaro! by the Merry Opera Company.