Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

bagabaga77-1 Far from Men is relevant to today's political and social situation. Set in a country torn apart by original inhabitants rebelling against invading forces -- and caught in the middle, the ordinary people trying to get on with their lives. Sound familiar? My friend and I could not speak when the film ended, it made such an impact on us. The performances by Kateb and Mortensen are so believable that the audience is swept up into their world rather than watching them act. Set in the stark desert of Algiers, the characters'futile scramble to some safe place is gripping and all-encompassing. One of those films whose scenes haunt you days and months after. Highly recommended: I would see it again.

hond-92064 This is an action movie of the mind, of the soul. Based on Albert Camus's short story The Guest, this in effect sums up the writers philosophy with clarity and insight. It was shot in Algeria which presents a perfect backdrop - both because it was where Camus grew up and because the stark but beautiful scenery fits perfectly with the story.(It even hints at Camus's own life in Algeria. He was of the working class - real working class, like working with their hands - and with Spanish heritage.) It takes the Camus story a bit further - but always with elements that was in fact part of Camus's life. For anybody who fondly remembers existentialism and how it analysed our human predicament, this movie will be a reason to celebrate. For those who does not know it, but is clever enough to agonize over our predicament - like how do we save our humanity when life forces us into situations that show that we are NOT " fully in control of our destiny" - start here. The acting is superb and the directing is brilliant - and obviously done by someone who understands Camus. Do not expect special effects or action hero stuff. This story goes deeper than that. Far deeper. It is in French but as the dialogue is on the sparse side, the subtitles for English speakers are easy. A movie of a great idea wherein the message, the dialogue and the filming merge together into a powerful statement.

Ian Perkins Daru (Viggo Mortensen)is a second-generation Spanish-Algerian, teaching Arab children in a remote school during Algeria's struggle for independence. He is viewed as a Frenchman by the Arabs, and as an Arab by the French. He gets saddled with the task of taking Mohamed (Reda Kateb), a common, that is non-political, criminal to the authorities in Tinguit. The pair encounter Algerian freedom fighters, French soldiers, Arab tribesmen, stunning landscapes and more along the way. At each turn, Daru's values, culture, position and assumptions are thrown into question, and his bond with Mohamed deepens. Yet at all points this remains a movie with a compelling storyline and beautiful cinematography. There is never a hint of heavy-handed social commentary or political soap-boxing. As a thriller/adventure, or character drama, it would be excellent. But through Daru and Mohamed's developing relationship, the social and political fabric of Algeria is explored at the same time, with exquisite but down-to-earth sensitivity, from the points of view of two ordinary, honest, and in their different ways fundamentally good men.

GUENOT PHILIPPE What a pure delight this terrific movie made in natural settings. We find here Viggo Mortensen at his very best, at his peak. The kind of lonesome, tired hero as he was in HISTORY OF VIOLENCE or EASTERN PROMISES, although quite different, but somewhere similar...The kind of hero whom I have always been in love with. Far from the super hero on whom I puke. I hate. Rade Kateb gives also here a powerful performance, as usual. You have in this feature the sad and beautiful story of a short and poignant friendship during war in Algeria. Two very different men who will have to fit together, against all odds. A gripping, poignant drama that made me weep. The school teacher's character played by Mortensen is terrific. One of the most brilliant performances I have ever seen since a long time, believe me. I will comment soon another movie about war in Algeria, a rare film named L'OPIUM ET LE BATON. Back to this one, I would have imagined Madds Mikaelsen in Motensen character. Those two are tremendous actors, very similar in many ways. But that's my own opinion.