Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Program 29: The String

The String is a Tunisian romance that features hot men and exotic locations, with a relatable storyline about coming out to family members. Leave comments and tell us what you thought!

35 comments:

Woody said...

I liked The String, but it had quite a few unanswered questions along the way. Frankly I was a little put off by the lead character being portrayed more as someone with "mental issues", since it seemed to tie that and his sexuality together in a few places. The implication there was not subtle in some cases.

I was also not impressed with how the differing class levels were glossed over. Beyond the minor rant early in the film, it was (like the string) a lightly touched on, but always present issue.

Overall, I was happy to watch it, but it's not inspiring enough for me to encourage others to watch it, outside of it being part of a larger line up, or of interest because of it's regional setting.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
A very open, live-and-let-live film from a culture perceived to be very closed and homophobic.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good. But ... we never have a complete explanation of the string. Was it supposed to mean Malik's attachment to his family?

Also, his mother appears to have accepted, or tolerated, Malik's and Bilal's relationship. But in her conversation with Wafa, she talks about sin and herself going to hell. She does want Wafa to stay, but it seems rather severe.

The civil marriage, or arrangement if you want to call it that, is a sell out by Malik and Bilal. As much as they love each other, they still let themselves be dominated by Malik's mother and their society.

Bill W said...

From the ballots:
Mature people working through their issues -- how refreshing!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good but a little strange.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Well-written!

Brett M said...

From the ballots:
Good movie but I don't have enough culture to understand the subtext.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good movie. For the Arabic world, I suppose it is progressive, but so ... cliched. It's all a facade - pretend for the child in a decadent colonial world.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Pleasant. I liked it.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Liked the movie even though the plot, i thought, was weak and the film moved kind of slowly.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Very nice film. Could have watched longer!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
An odd film. "Loose Strings" could be a more fitting title. Didn't understand the Mother/Son issue, the servant to house member issue, maid servant to wait on ex-servant, lesbian marriage, the jump to 7 years later at the end ... not too cohesive of a film.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good and interesting storyline.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Another great movie and romance at ImageOut this year!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent. I so appreciate the international films!

Vic said...

From the ballots:
Clever script.
Positive.
Cute.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
I don't even like movies with subtitles and I LOVED this movie!

Tom C said...

From the ballots:
Only movie so far that gave me a hard-on. [smiley face]

(P.S. I did not go to TWISTED LOVE.)

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent and very enjoyable!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent mainstream film -- this should play at the Little Theatre!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Sensuous and beautiful!

BGJ said...

From the ballots:
It is good to see Claudia Cardinale again, after all of these years. The film had a nice sense of humanity, with everyone becoming amicable over time. I liked that.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Awesome film! Merci.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
W O W

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent. Rich and appealing.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Good story. Nice ending.

Jim C said...

From the ballots:
This film seemed so genuine -- not contrived or caricature. OY VEY was funny ... THE STRING was real.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent film with strong supporting characters!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent. Enjoyable and informative!

Thomas W said...

From the ballots:
Wonderfully engaging. This should have been an Opening Night film. Charming, educating, diverse. Music was so perfect also.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent. Glad to see some more Arabic-based films.

Steve said...

From the ballots:
Salim Kechiouche is EXCELLENT!

Wayne T said...

From the ballots:
Love this movie! It shows the world's changing not just in the USA but in many parts of the world, as well. Even in Tunisia.

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Liked exotic setting.
Liked change of mind, happy ending after suffering.
Like French.
EXCELLENT!

Anonymous said...

From the ballots:
Excellent. The film showed unusual commonalities that built a new family when the differences might have fractured it.