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It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Not too many know that almost everywhere outside the U.S are some highly talented filmmakers who's films spark true tastes of Hollywood, even if they come from some of the poorest countries. This Israeli crime-drama directed by Scandae Copti and Yaron Shani grips audiences into a gritty and brutal inside look at the life of Israelis growing in the violent streets of Jaffa. The story follows five interconnected story lines of the lives of Arabs, Jews, Palestinians, and Christian as they witness violence, crime, and persecution in the neighborhood of Ajami. Shahid Kabaha plays 19-year old Muslim Omar who caught in the tensions of vicious drug dealers and criminals run when he and his brother Nasri (played by Fouad Habash) witness the senseless murder of a friend in their neighborhood. In an effort to protect his friends and family, Omar partners up with a young man named Malek (played by Ibrahim Frege) to sell drugs to earn money for his ill mother who is need of an operation, while struggling to survive the violence that erupts in the streets and the forbidden relationship of his Christian girlfriend Hadir (played by Ranin Karim). In the meantime, Israeli cop Dando (played by Arran Naim) is on the search for his missing brother who goes AWOL in the military.Director Scandae Copti gives this film the emotional investment and solid writing it needs, and his efforts pay diligently in this picture. Told in non-chronological order, this film paints a true and authentic picture at the domestic conflicts that litter the Middle East, and how the film is so powerful, it hits hard. With plenty of scenes featuring gunshots, stabbings, and beatings of innocent people, the film is quite violent and brooding, but it demonstrates on how disgusting and ugly life can get for people residing in the Middle East; corruption, persecution, bigotry, and other sorts of harrowing elements play roles in the story here. The idea of how people are tormented and treated callously based on their race, ethnicity, and religious beliefs is quite thought-provoking, and the film does a magnificent job on portraying the idea with realism while not exaggerating or sugar coating it. The violent nature of the story and the grittiness of the wars between ethnics and religions in Israel is not pretty to look at. But sadly, that's reality. The director is so great on how he handles the story and how well he manages to keep the film moving, even when it moves at a slow pace in some parts. With the story told in a non-linear perspective, the film provides viewers with plenty of shock and an outstanding plot twist at the end that is nearly impossible to predict. The performances of the cast are quite impression, and the biggest surprise may come to the fact that absolutely no one had prior acting experience of any kind. These actors just nail it their roles and are astoundingly entertaining to watch. And let's not forget the cinematography that lavishes the beauty of the film. Ajami is a stunning piece of work by a foreign filmmaker, and definitely ranks high as one of the powerful foreigns Hollywood has to offer. Yes, it is very violent and dark, and something not everyone will be comfortable with. But it is very honest with a true heart and mind, and definitely deserves your attention.

I noticed that one reviewer said that this film was for all tastes. Well, I cannot see that at all. The film is pretty depressing and violent--and I'd never recommend it to anyone who is depressed or who doesn't want to see a film like this. It's gritty, tough and not something for all tastes. However, it was recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences (i.e, the Oscar folks) and was nominated for Best Foreign Language movie.This film is very unusual because it is seen from several different viewpoints. I never would have imagined an Israeli film where the main characters are divided up into chapters and each one stars such different people--such as Palestinian Muslims, Palestinian Christians as well as Jews. This is the best thing about the film--it humanizes everyone and shows motivation of everyone. None of them are evil, exactly---just people for good or for bad. As far as the story goes, here's where it gets depressing. Different folks NEED money and need it fast--such as the young man who must gather an astronomical sum to keep a violent gang from wiping out his family and another who needs to pay for his mother's life-saving surgery. What these folks do to try to get the money as well as the sad story of the dead Jewish young man all make for a compelling but incredibly depressing story. Death abounds and life is cheap in this film. Overall, it IS well made and the acting is quite nice. But I just found myself feeling awful by the time is was finished. Maybe you'll get more out of it than me...I dunno.

Ajami (2009) is an Israeli film nominated for Academy Award Best Foreign Language film. It's written and co-directed by an Israeli and a Palestinian--Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani.This is a powerful film that takes place in the Ajami district, on the outskirts of Jaffa. Ajami is a mixed neighborhood, where Muslims, Christians, and Jews coexist in an uneasy truce. The film opens with a scene of violence, and then flashes back to an earlier scene of violence for which the opening scene violence was a retaliation. There were five plot threads, all of them interrelated. Each scene was powerful, but I sometimes had trouble remembering how the characters knew each other, and how their history was shaping their present actions.We saw this film at the superb Rochester Jewish Film Festival, but it will work well on DVD. In fact, I think DVD might be better, because then you can go back and review what previous scene led to the scene you're watching. It all fits together, but it was hard for me to remember just how it fits together. It's worth watching the movie and, if need be, watching it again.

Ajami tells the tale of Israeli Jews and Arabs, albeit splintered. The audience is treated to a violent opening followed by dialogue and interaction. As they see the individual characters unwind, the Arab store owner, the Israeli cop, things begin to get more complicated.The primary power of Ajami is in its mode of storytelling which correlates to the content itself. There are several chapters, each telling a different story. What is most intriguing is how these stories fit. A character will appear two chapters later only for his intentions to be revealed then. A certain act of violence, a consequence of violence, etc. are not contextualized but only taken in the moment. The viewer may be tempted to judge or hold preconceived notions about the characters until the filmmakers, often with great effect, reveal the true intentions of these individuals.This can be applied to the whole of the Israel-Palestine situation. Each violence has its lasting impact on individuals and groups alike. In Ajami a murder is not only between the victim and the perpetrator. Likewise reading in the news about a killing can only tell a fraction of the truth. The filmmakers wisely adopted a very documentary like feel to this film, similar to The Class and Gomorra. Characters names are only mentioned realistically. There is a sense of confusion as to who is whom for some of the sequences. At times it is frustrating because a Western audience may be more tempted to discuss the actual identity of a character than understand the point of the movie as a whole. Another issue is that this documentary, video approach to film-making can sometimes feel problematic or trite. By the time the third and fourth chapters are reached, there are several emotional climaxes. But these are immediately followed by more revealing. It works in most cases, prompting me to give Ajami a very high mark.It is a film worth seeing for anyone interested or disinterested in the region. A highly potent character study that proves, perhaps unintentionally, the power of a filmmaker to show or to not show intentions.