The Insult (2017)
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The Insult Movie Review
The Insult is a 2017 Lebanese courtroom drama film directed by Ziad Doueiri. It’s a familiar in style, but very strong in execution film.
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“No one has a monopoly on suffering“
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Yes, The Insult is pretty much your regular courtroom drama when it comes to its overall structure. We follow the conflict, the courtroom scenes, the trial and eventually the conclusion where they leave the court. There is nothing new or original when it comes to its approach and that was certainly problematic.
However, the film is so well made across the board that it successfully managed to overcome its familiar structure. The movie is very political and it definitely requires at least some knowledge of the current Middle Eastern affairs on the part of the viewer for better and for worse. But it’s thus an important viewing that throws you into this world and the problems of Lebanon and its surrounding countries so well and with an immediacy that is definitely felt.
The characters are very well realized and I particularly liked how we got to know them, their motifs, their issues and eventually even backstories. That was all done with care and pretty solid storytelling. The strong characterization thus made the conflict even better and more interesting. And I found the performances top-notch across the board with Adel Karam and Rita Hayek being two of the standouts, but the rest are great as well.
Ziar Doueiri’s direction is quite strong as the film is deftly edited, paced and also well shot and it flows really well. The cinematography is quite good and the film manages to feel, as I said above, immediate, urgent and brisk throughout the entirety of its runtime.
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The Insult’s finest achievement is obviously the dialogue which is fantastic. The film is quite clever and sophisticated in its various discussions and conversations and it makes you acquainted with issues in the Middle East so well. It deserved its Oscar nomination even if it’s not up to par with films like ‘Loveless’ and especially ‘A Fantastic Woman’.
The Insult manages to transcend its familiar courtroom drama approach and structure thanks to strong direction, terrific performances across the board and particularly clever, sophisticated dialogue. It is a film that requires some political knowledge on the part of the viewer for better and for worse, but it’s still pretty accessible and rather important thanks to its urgent tone, strong characterization, backstories and a smart exploration of its themes.
