Paradise Now Photo

Paradise Now

Starring: Kais Nashef, Ali Suliman, Lubna Azabal, Hiam Abbass, Amer Hlehel

Directed by: Hany Abu-Assad

RS: 3of 4 Stars

2005 Warner Independent Pictures Drama

It's not surprising that emotions run high in this movie powder keg about two Palestinian suicide bombers -- Said (Kais Nashef) and Khaled (Ali Suliman) -- on a mission to Tel Aviv. What does amaze is the humane and nonpartisan treatment of the topic by Palestinian director and co-writer Hany Abu-Assad. By detailing two days in the lives of these young mechanics -- they've been friends since childhood -- as they prepare to sacrifice their future for a cause they barely understand, the director puts a human face on the headlines. Shot in the West Bank, the film radiates authenticity. Even when he plays the action like a thriller, Abu-Assad is in search of a deeper truth.