Rana's Wedding
Arab Film Distribution | Release Date: August 22, 2003 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Film ThreatPhil Hall
Among the finest films made in the Middle East. This small, subtle gem offers a vivid portrait of life in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, presenting its message with an intelligence and vibrancy that celebrates the human spirit in an environment where humanity is routinely crushed and assaulted. Read full review
100
San Francisco ChronicleJonathan Curiel
A bittersweet film that tells the story of Palestinian life as eloquently as anything ever done. Read full review
80
VarietyDeborah Young
Though shot from the Palestinian P.O.V., the Dutch/Palestinian Film Foundation co-production is remarkably balanced, offering a convinced message of hope for the future. Read full review
80
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Ms. Khoury, often filmed in close-up, gives a deeply sensitive, unsentimental performance, and the feelings that crowd on her face (sometimes more than one at a time) run the gamut from despair to ambivalence to hysterical frustration to tenderness and joy. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
The movie's wistful tone leavened with breaks into farce recalls Elia Suleiman's superbly controlled "Chronicle of a Disappearance." Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
Starts out slowly, unfolding a family history through the poetic use of black-and-white photographs -- blending the figures of Rana's ancestors into the frame as if they still watched the family. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Excellent acting, and a plot that combines suspense, whimsy, and political resonance make this Palestinian comedy-drama an unusual treat. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
This black comedy is a small gem. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The movie is passable as a story but fascinating as a document. It gives a more complete visual picture of the borders, the Palestinian settlements and the streets of Jerusalem than we ever see on the news. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeJanice Page
An invitation to see something a little less pretty, and potentially more enduring. Read full review
70
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Agreeably soft at heart, a fun and progressive entertainment that above all wants to give love a wide berth, no matter what imposing obstacles have to be cleared from the aisle first. Read full review
70
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
Both wry and sobering, if such a thing is possible. In Jerusalem, apparently, it's inevitable. Read full review
70
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Clara Khoury delivers a performance that is luminous, fierce and intensely focused as the title character of Rana's Wedding. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesManohla Dargis
The film effectively conveys the fears and frustrations of Palestinians struggling in a country that treats them as the enemy. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Given the tension dogging her every step, I wondered if this would end in bloodshed, but Abu-Assad opts for a more hopeful conclusion, making his film -- strange as it may seem -- a comedy. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldMarta Barber
Strong acting from Khoury saves the weak storyline. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Khoury may be a few years too old to play a minor still squirming under her father's thumb, but her performance as a timid young woman who finds strength while looking for a husband is quite affecting. Read full review
50
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
It's tempting to read Abu-Assad's view of his ostentatiously wealthy heroine and her debutante narcissism as satirical of a certain cross-section of modernized Palestinians amid the occupation, but the placid, earnest way her dilemma takes up emotional space in his film suggests half-bakery. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterFrank Scheck
While the film, directed by Hany Abu-Assad, provides a vivid portrait of the landscape, its dramatic aspects are less impressive, with the contrived plot and paper-thin characterizations basically serving to provide a framework for its impressionistic portrait. Read full review
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