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Toronto Film Festival: Varied Reviews on Guantanamo Film

The Toronto Film Festival is considered one of the best anywhere. I'd really like to go next year. One of the many films that caught my attention from media reviws is this one, starring Robin Wright Penn, as described by a reviewer:

One of the local papers said that this movie was one of the worst in the festival, so I wasn’t expecting much from it. After seeing it, I must strongly disagree. This is an incendiary film that I am still thinking about. Abdel Kechiche plays Ashade, an Arabian New York City taxi driver. His brother has been locked up in Guantanamo Bay and Ashade is raising money to pay for a lawyer and help support his sister-in-law.

Late one night, he picks up Phoebe (Robin Wright Penn) outside an ATM. She has him drive her to New Jersey , where they sit outside a suburban home for a while before she keys a new SUV that sits in the driveway. Phoebe, who from early on is clearly unstable, works for an MTV-type network and produces a show that’s similar to Cribs. She is also enraged about 9/11 and lets racist comments fly at will.

Just how unstable she is becomes more apparent as the movie progresses. A lonely woman, she steals money from Ashade and is jealous of her friend and co-workers (Sandra Oh) happy life.Ashade, who has been nothing but nice to Phoebe, can’t figure out why she would want to hurt him. In the hopes of making amends, she puts him in touch with a lawyer who might be able to help get his brother home.

It all leads to an ending that left me speechless, my jaw open wide. Phoebe is capable of much more than lies about her employment and racial slurs. I can easily see this being a love-it-or-hate film, with passionate defenders on both sides. I am part of the former. It bluntly deals with sensitive issues and is entirely unpredictable. Powerful little flick.

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    Re: Toronto Film Festival: Varied Reviews on Guant (none / 0) (#1)
    by Peter G on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:01 PM EST
    I think it's appropriate to mention in the context of this particular blog that in fact the detainees at Guantanamo can get counsel without fee, unless they refuse. Each detainee set for one of those so-called "review panels" gets a U.S. military defense lawyer -- most of whom have turned out to be excellent, and truly dedicated to their clients' interests. In addition, the National Ass'n of Criminal Defense Lawyers has organized a fairly large corps of volunteer civilian defense attorneys to aid detainees who want them. Those few Guantanamo prisoners who are citizens of other countries with rights-oriented legal systems (such as Great Britain and Australia) also seem to have counsel from home. (I think TalkLeft has covered all of these aspects previously, including recent coverage of interference by the military prison authorities and intelligence officers with attorney-client relationships.) So it sounds like the plot premise of the film may be off kilter.

    Re: Toronto Film Festival: Varied Reviews on Guant (none / 0) (#2)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:03 PM EST
    Peter G. WTF good is any counsel if you can't get a trial? Can you also read us this week's menu? D5W with potassium chloride anyone?