Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Abbigail Bush what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Ben Wadjda is an excellent film in that it shows a glimpse of a society from the prospective of the title character, Wadjda, a young middle class girl in Saudi Arabia.The main conflicts surround Wadjda and her mother. Wadjda wants to buy a bicycle to beat her friend/crush Abdullah in a race. This is very atypical in Saudi society: girls don't ride bikes, it is for boys. This doesn't stop Wadjda, as she enacts a few different schemes to try and raise the needed funds. Unfortunately, she clashes with the school principal, Ms. Hussa. Ms. Hussa attempts to "save" Wadjda by constantly reprimanding her. Eventually, Wadjda decides to sign up for a Qur'an recitation competition to win the money for her bike.Wadjda's mother is also having problems. She is at ends with her husband, who is constantly away and wants a son that becomes more evident that she can not produce. She is still deeply in love with him. Her other problem is with riding with her dim-witted, easily agitated driver (this was made before women could drive in Saudi Arabia).One of the best parts of the film is the characters interactions, Wadjda and Abdullah's budding friendship/romance. Wasjda and her mother's slow estrangement her father is particular hard to watch. This is a potent movie and seems very realistic. They don't tell the watcher what to believe and leave things as are.: (for Westerners) an eye opening look at one of the most conservative societies on the planet.Everyone involved in the project should give themselves a hand, the did very well.

orfredericks A liberal 10 year old girl faces the hardships of her own home country and religion throughout her journey in the movie. Her name is Wajda and she wears converse sneakers to school and barely wears her head gear and gets scolded by her teachers and mom, once in a while for it. One day she is being teased by a boy who she likes to hang out with and he rides a bike, and she promises to beat him in a race when she buys her own bike. However, it is not custom or ordinary to see women riding a bike...Wadjda is an independent girl at the young age of just 10 and i find it very fascinating how immature, but mature at the same time that she can be. When she is at school and sells wristbands and illegal things to make money to buy her bike that cost 800 riyals, the audience feels the strive and determination of a girl who is living under the limitations of religion and a misogynist society. Moreover, Wajda helps a classmate talk to a boy for the payment of 20 riyals and also charges the boy she delivers the note to 20 riyals and gets obtains money in whatever way that she can. Meanwhile, her house structure seems pretty calm and comfortable, with a nice kitchen, living room and even a video game system that is definitely not allowed in the customs of the country. Let alone women cannot wear nail polish, bracelets, and or unveil their hair in public. However, her father and mother are never home and when she sees her father bring home his family tree, that hangs up on the wall, that does not include his daughters name. It only includes the names of the male heirs in the family which foreshadows the departure of her father from her mother to go have another wife to produce an male heir for him. It is sad that this happens to Wajda's mother who did everything to appease him and respect her religion, but in the end it is very nice to see that she changes and tells Wajda that she can do whatever she wants and be whatever she wants and not let anybody change her.

pjfarley Wadjda is the story of a little girl living in Saudi Arabia. One day, a boy rides by her on his bike and she chases after him only for him to tease her and say "Catch me if you can." After this, all she wants is a brand new green bicycle that she sees for sale on her way home. The main reason she wants the bike is so she can race the boy that teased her, Abdullah, and beat him. When she asked her mom about buying a bike, she says no and that women don't ride bikes. Wadjda does not care what other people think and begins trying to save up money to purchase the bike. Eventually, Wadjda enters into a school Koran recitation contest to win the prize money and buy a bike. She spends a lot of time preparing for this competition and eventually wins the prize money. When she tells everyone she is going to buy a bike, the school then donates the money instead of giving it to Wadjda. At the very end of the film Wadjda is very sad that she can't purchase her bike. For the happy ending, Wadjda's mom buys her a bike and she beats Abdullah in a race. Overall I really enjoyed this film and thought that the simple story about a girl wanting a bike used to express women's rights is really well thought out and beautiful.

Lily Schneider The film, Wadjda, directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, was one of the best films I have ever seen. It was truly inspirational for all girls especially, and I loved it! The actress, Waad Mohammed, did an amazing job playing her role. She was such a strong and independent girl, who despite all the name calling for being a girl, never let the boys pull her down. I loved this about her, and she inspired me to never give up and let the boys beat me down.