The Insult, 2017.
Directed by Ziad Doueiri.
Starring Adel Karam, Kamel El Basha, Rita Hayek, Diamand Bou Abboud, Camille Salameh, Christine Choueiri, Talal Jurdi, and Christina Farah.
SYNOPSIS:
In today’s Beirut, an insult blown out of proportions finds Toni, a Lebanese Christian, and Yasser, a Palestinian refugee, in court. From secret wounds to traumatic revelations, the media circus surrounding the case puts Lebanon through a social explosion, forcing Toni and Yasser to reconsider their lives and prejudices.
No one is born prejudiced, rather they become accustomed to behaving a certain way based on surrounding influences and adopted beliefs. The Insult (directed by Ziad Doueiri, who has charted similar political territory with awards darling West Beirut and is also known for working as a camera assistant on many Quentin Tarantino classics) explores that to great, authentically believable detail as a heated exchange between a Lebanese Christian and a Palestinian refugee residing in Beirut explodes into a courtroom spat catching attention from the public eye, also bringing back unhealed emotional trauma.
Palestinian construction site worker Yasser (Kamel El Basha) is tasked with fixing up an illegal pipe rigging in the home of a father to be Tony (Adel Karam), who isn’t too happy about the idea and insists the family can take care of things by themselves. Yasser goes through with his job anyway, to which Tony destroys the pipe completely while demanding an apology. The two meet privately to attempt making peace with one another and put the incident behind them, but the hotheaded Tony becomes irate at Yasser’s hesitation to make amends and savagely blurts out that he wishes Ariel Sharon had wiped them all out. Not so surprisingly, the titular insult is retaliated with physical violence leaving some bruised ribs among other minor injuries.
Although the altercation is enough to bring the situation to court (neither of them enlists the services of a lawyer), the animosity between the two individuals is elevated when the stress of the situation coupled with the pain causes Tony to lose consciousness while conducting work in his mechanic workshop, subsequently prompting his caring and gentle but very pregnant wife Shirine (Rita Hayek) to enter premature labor. As a result, the baby is born in serious danger and seemingly on life support (unfortunately, this feels more like a forced plot device to increase the stakes and add a sense of urgency, culminating into nothing). Still, with a small but very cruel insult snowballing into something far more heavier with life-changing consequences, the enemies had back to the courtroom, this time with lawyers.
Refreshingly, the courtroom banter is captivating and never once suffers from bringing in new characters to expand on different sides of either the story or Tony/Yasser’s tragic history. The script (also penned by Ziad Doueiri with assistance from Joelle Touma) is fascinatingly able to paint both of them as sympathetic, exploring each character equally. To a fault, the performances they are given by their respective actors are admittedly a bit one-note (Tony is rarely not furious which begs the question what Shirine sees in him romantically), but past details brought to life rooted in the Civil War are enough to inject enough depth into each personality. I can’t say I have exceptional knowledge of the featured Lebanese Christian/Palestinian conflict, but the story is presented in an accessible way that invites further Internet research for curiosity’s sake.
However, the creative decision to implement the respective lawyers in a father/daughter relationship rivalry goes nowhere, unsuccessfully striving to add another layer of drama. It simply isn’t needed, as the core dynamic between Tony and Yasser is more than enough to engage audiences on both dramatic and informative levels. Due to the amount of care given to each individual, it’s normal to have an unsure feeling of who is actually in the right. It’s not as black-and-white as it initially seems, and there are enough revelations throughout the courtroom proceedings to keep things rolling along and rethinking one’s support alignment.
The Insult reaches a natural conclusion, as it’s satisfying witnessing repressed wounds finally be addressed and given peace. There is still an aura of vagueness within, but for the most part, it’ll inspire hope in other countries that prejudiced behavior can productively be stomped out and take footsteps to a harmonious future. Time does heal all wounds, although sometimes facing them head-on in a courtroom setting can be just as effective. There is also a deep appreciation for the meaning and impact of words, as again, one insult is enough to spur plentiful pain and fallout so widespread it garners national attention. The Insult has made the shortlist for the Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Film candidate and is definitely deserving of a nomination; it’s biting, socially relevant, and earnest in its depiction of suffering’s many forms
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, friend me on Facebook, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, check out my personal non-Flickering Myth affiliated Patreon, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published January 6, 2018. Updated April 19, 2018.
