I normally have an opportunity to see most of the Oscar Nominated Foreign Films before Oscar night each year. This year, I was only able to squeeze in one film before the Oscars. The only foreign film nominee I had time to see this year was The Insult, which my wife and I went to see last night. Without having seen the other films, I can say that I enjoyed this film but doubt it will win an Oscar. This film was the nominated film from Lebanon.
The Insult takes place in the political and social turmoil of post-war Lebanon. Lebanon has not been at war for many years, but the scars of political and religious division are deep. The violence and division of war have left many people with deep-rooted hatred for anyone associated with the faction that created their own personal strife. In that context, two decent but stubborn men find themselves engaged in a bitter court battle that escalates beyond the courtroom. The case has a ripple effect that exposes national wounds that need to be treated.
Tony Hanna (Adel Karam) is a member of the Christian Party in Lebanon. He is a proud man who has built a modest life in Beirut with his wife, Shirine (Rita Hayek). Hanna has his own garage, which is right across the street from the humble but functional flat he hopes to one day own. Shirine is pregnant and hopes that they may one day move back to his family home which sits empty in Damour. Tony rejects the idea in no uncertain terms. It is apparent from the exchange that Tony has strong opinions and an equally strong will. Or in plain terms, he appears to be stubborn.
A construction company is rebuilding Tony’s neighborhood, fixing buildings at no charge to bring them up to code. Tony’s flat is not in compliance as his second floor porch has a pipe that drains directly out the street. Or, in this case, onto the head of project manager Yasser Salameh (Kamel el Basha). Salameh is a Palestinian refugee with exceptional experience in building projects such as this. He approaches Tony to advise him that his drain pipe is in violation of regulations. Tony feels insulted, partially because he is called a pr*ck and partially because of his prejudice toward Palestinians. The manager of the construction company attempts to remedy the situation, but it escalates due to the stubborn nature of both men. As their personal struggle escalates, their confrontation eventually engulfs the country, exposing deep pain that threatens to tear the country apart.
The Insult is an interesting study in human behavior. The buzzword these days is toxic masculinity. I really don’t like the way that psychological term is overused and hijacked by social justice warriors as a stereotype. But in this case, it probably fits. Tony and Yasser are two sides of the same coin. Both have deep rooted bias firmly tied to personal experiences. They are both stubborn and proud. Their inability to communicate creates an increasingly volatile situation that spreads to the community and ultimately the country around them. The story is part character study and partially an examination of the complex social issues that Lebanon faces. War does that to a country. The film has a steady upward arc with an anticlimactic finish. By design. It plods along, but manages to be engaging. I normally don’t like courtroom dramas, but this one takes place primarily outside the courtroom. The courtroom is merely a vehicle for moderating the pace of the escalation. Each time we head into court, it seems the ante has increased for everyone involved. I wanted a slightly different ending that would have felt warmer and created a greater sense of completion for me. Instead, the film opts for an ever-so-subtle hint at resolution and respect. It seems to me that the two men, who often seem caught up in something greater than themselves, eventually recognize their commonality and find their own redemption.
I don’t know these actors. But they were exceptional. There is a fine line to walk when one is creating a character that is flawed but likeable. Both Karam and el Basha manage those roles deftly. I enjoyed their strained interactions, which created a palpable tension. Their internal conflicts were evident in their facial expressions and restrained dialogue. The film revolves around the conflict of these two men, so their performances were essential to its success. The rest of the cast was solid. But without these two performance, the film would not have appealed to me. Great casting of the lead roles.
The Insult is a one hour, 52 minute film. The film plodded along, but keeping this film under two hours was a good move. Had it been any longer, my rating would have dropped further. Had the pacing been better, I would likely have given this film 8/10. The pacing was actually good at times, and the story told in a way that unraveled the story a bit at a time. The film received an R rating from the MPAA. The rating is based on actual images from historic battles that happened in Lebanon. Images of dead bodies are shown, real images, which is undoubtedly the reason for the rating. The film also had strong language and a couple of minor scuffles. The war imagery was contextual and not too graphic. I would not place a strict age limit on this film, but might consider auditing it before allowing any pre-teens to view it. Honestly, it will probably be kind of boring to anyone teen or younger.
I am glad I had the opportunity to see The Insult at the theater. It doesn’t appear likely to me that this film will win the Oscar for best foreign language film. But it was good. It is a solid film that dealt very evenly with the deep national divisions in Lebanon. The film could have easily become ham-handed toward one side or the other. Instead, it seems to try to account for the factors that created the division, using the two central characters to personify a deeper national divide. The faces may be different, but I think the stories are probably much the same. People have reasons to be divided, but division eventually needs to be reconciled and addressed. Maybe there are some parallels here that we in the United States could reflect on as well. 7.5/10.
