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The Attack

Play trailer Poster for The Attack R 2013 1h 44m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 58 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
An award-winning Palestinian surgeon (Ali Suliman) is shocked to discover that his wife was the terrorist responsible for a suicide bombing that killed 17 people.

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The Attack

The Attack

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Critics Consensus

Tense and suspenseful while remaining smart and understated, The Attack honors its complex subject with an intelligent script and captivating performances.

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Critics Reviews

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Emma Myers Film Comment Magazine 11/04/2013
The result is a quiet power-so quiet in fact that the score is almost non-existent-that never risks sentimentality or exploitation. Go to Full Review
Ben Sachs Chicago Reader 08/29/2013
Screenwriters Ziad Doueiri and Joelle Touma pull quite a few punches here, making the doctor improbably naive about Israeli-Palestinian tensions so that his transformation seems profound. Go to Full Review
Andrew Wagaman Minneapolis Star Tribune 08/22/2013
3/4
"The Attack" doesn't force us to pick a side. But it does force us to question our outsiders' hope in conciliation. Go to Full Review
Joanne Laurier World Socialist Web Site 07/14/2020
The Attack is a well-done, intelligent work. Go to Full Review
Bernard Boo Way Too Indie 04/15/2019
8.2/10
The lasting images Doueiri conjures are what I ultimately took with me after all was said and done, and the droning, ambient electronic music he pairs with the visuals adds a surprising amount of tension and mood. Go to Full Review
Mae Abdulbaki Punch Drunk Critics 08/14/2018
3.5/5
The film is poignant and easily one of the best films to come from the region in recent memory. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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03/06/2020 This is a though-provoking move I have watched many times, and every time I recommend to others they enjoy too! See more 02/07/2017 Excellent film from Lebanon/France based on a novel by Yasmina Khadra. Amin Jaafari seems to have the perfect life: A successful career as a surgeon, respect and appreciation from colleagues, a beautiful wife. When there was a suicide bomber in a Tel Aviv coffee shop, Amin lends a helping hand with the other medical staff. But he is soon to find out that the suicide bomber was his own beloved wife. How can he now make sense of his life, and love? What are the reactions by Israeli Jews, and by his own family and other Arabs to him asking questions? This film tackles some tough questions. See more 07/20/2016 Ani ohevet otcha Suliman <3 See more 02/15/2016 Tense drama about a Palestinian surgeon living in Israel whose wife is accused of being a suicide bomber. Much less of s political polemic than a story of a man whose main relationship is potentially betrayed and lifestyle challenged. Except for one important factual incident that gets distorted in order to rationalize a character motivation, a daring and well done film. See more 09/12/2015 Powerful movie. No easy answers, for anyone. See more 07/23/2015 A man's quest to find the truth... Adaptation of the french novel 'The Assassination'. The movie was so good, but I had a hesitation over the contents. The movie tried to be a too smart by being a neutral, hence failed to convince on that issue. The problem was, it sets in the real world around real conflict, but the facts were excluded. So that led many countries to ban in their market. The good thing was, to I like the movie, the story concentrates on the human curiosity and emotion. I thought it was an okay movie until the end twist. It was not that grand, but very-very simple and potent. Awesome filmmaking, could have been a top contender if it would have nominated for the Oscar. I wanted to rate it higher, but I feel something is not right as it was based on the real subject, but a fictional account. I definitely recommend it because the result could be different for you with your viewpoint. 7/10 See more Read all reviews
The Attack

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Movie Info

Synopsis An award-winning Palestinian surgeon (Ali Suliman) is shocked to discover that his wife was the terrorist responsible for a suicide bombing that killed 17 people.
Director
Ziad Doueiri
Producer
Jean Bréhat
Screenwriter
Ziad Doueiri, Joelle Touma
Distributor
Cohen Media Group
Production Co
Canal+, Scope Pictures, 3B Productions
Rating
R (Language|Brief Sexuality|Some Violent Images)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Arabic
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 21, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 12, 2016
Runtime
1h 44m
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