Saturday, October 27, 2012

Who Needs Subtitles



Is it a sign of arrival when you watch a movie based in the country where you live and
One: you know without a doubt that this movie was NOT filmed here.  If only my airport looked that awesome.
Two: you know where the actors are from based on their dialect of Arabic only because if they are from your region, you don't need the subtitles!
Three: Leonardo DiCaprio speaks awful Arabic and can't possibly pass for a CIA agent. Please stop speaking. Your Arabic is awful.  If that's who the CIA is really employing these days then we are in trouble.

Some friends and I watched Body of Lies late tonight.  I had seen it, but it had been awhile. I also saw it BEFORE I moved to the Middle East.  Watching it after was mind-blowing and wow--a bit scary what I had ingested as facts and possibilities when in reality the whole movie is a scramble of language, location and culture.  A lot of it takes place in Jordan, some in Iraq, and some in Dubai.  FYI--it's mostly all filmed in Morocco and THAT is very obvious.  Sadly, it portrays Jordan very very different than what it is.
Hollywood needs better cultural consultants(a dream job of mine), think they'll hire?
 

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