Danielle Ebanks I found the movie Caramel to be an extremely good movie. Before watching the film, I did not know much about the Arab culture in Lebanon. The women cared for one another very deeply. If one of them was in pain, so were the others. This is something I wish there was more of here in America. In addition, they portrayed Arabs to be very conservative in their everyday lives, especially for women that wish to marry. I was also pleased to see the integration of French language and culture into the Arab language and culture. This film was very informational and I would recommend it to any Arabic student.
Caramel turned out to be a pretty good movie. I was quite skeptical when i was told to watch this movie because it had a lot of romance in it and was a story about five women. However this movie gave me great insight about the daily lives of women in Lebanon. Each of these women has a different problem. They all have problems in which women have in every society. Their problems are universal. I also like the many funny parts in the movie. I found it interesting how communal the Arab culture in Lebanon is. The policeman in the beginning was hassling the couple in the car because he thought they were doing things they shouldn't have been doing. Arabs seem to look out for each other. They hold tight to what they believe to be moral and remain conservative. The community seems to be more tighter then the communities in the western world. In conclusion, i liked how the movie did not focus on any war or political but rather focused on the everyday lives of Arabs. It centered on people who go about their lives everyday and have everyday problems. Overall I enjoyed the entire film and would definitely watch it again.
I thought Caramel was a pretty good movie!They were dealing with some life problems that women here in America go through. For example, the woman who was dating the married man, that happens here quite often. Also, I thought that old lady was hilarious! She was making me laugh a lot. One thing I found interesting was how the cop had confronted the man and his fiance while they were in the car. Do the officers usually walk around on foot like that? I know the same thing here happens if a cop sees two people in a car at night, but the officers aren't on foot. Another thing I thought was very different was how the woman who was dating the married man had to prove that she was married before she could book a hotel room. The hotel clerks also asked her who she would be staying with. Here in America they don't care as long as you have money to pay.
I remember noticing that the film seemed, on the whole, more dialogue driven than most US comedy films, which tend to favor physical gags and situational humor. Watching the film gave me an idea of how ignorant I am about Lebanon. Though I was aware our instructors spoke French, the prevalence of the French language came as something of a shock. The great number of Christians and Christian imagery also surprised me, as I’m given to think of Christians as likely being an underrepresented minority in Arabic countries.
In another class, we read “The Haunted House” by Plautus, and the professor pointed out that one has to understand the mindset of the play’s original Roman audience in order to understand exactly what effects certain jokes are meant to have. For example, a joke about patricide can only be fully understood if one knows how revered fathers were and how much power they held over their families. The joke is shocking, but, in the professor's words, "deliciously so." In Caramel, the seriousness of Bassam’s claim that “not even God will get me out of this car” would be completely lost on someone unaware of how strongly Islam emphasizes His omnipotence. In the U.S., one would only be disturbed by Bassam’s incompliance with the officer, thinking nothing at all of his exclamation by itself.
I thought Caramel was an overall good movie. One thing that I liked was that it was not a political movie. I understand how politics play a major role in the Middle East, but I liked seeing a movie not about politics. I like that the movie was about everyday problems for those women. Additionally I like the fact that those same issues are ones that are worldwide. This makes the movie very relatable. The older lady, Lili I believe her name was, was very funny I thought. Though I did look up the movie and saw that she was supposed to have mental issues, which makes it a little less comical, but not knowing that made me enjoy her character while watching the movie.
I don't watch that many Arab movies, but I have seen Caramel before - I think it was pretty controversial for an Arab film. Americans may find that strange, considering what we're used to here, but Caramel tackles a lot of issues that are completely taboo in most of the middle-east: adultery, pre-marital sex, and probably the most controversial, homosexuality.
It was interesting to see these issues tackled in an Arab context. I'm not sure how representative these women were of average Lebanese women, since everything's dramatized for movies and television, but it was also interesting to get a look at Lebanese culture rather than Palestinian or Egyptian, where many Arab films (as least those geared for an international audience) are set.
I thought Caramel was a great movie that defiantly deserved the awards they've won. I like the romantic problems that each character has and all the tension that builds up. For example the main character Layale is in love with a man that is already in a marriage. Harram! Another character is attracted to women. Another is getting married but is not a virigin,.. Each woman has their own problem but together they seem normal. My favorite part of the movie is the character Lili. The directors use her for comedic breakup between all the tension that is stirring throughout the movie. Lili lives with her sister named Rose. Rose is a seamstress that takes care of her unbalanced older sister. Lili has become a hindrance in trying to find true love. In the movie Rose finds her true love but at a crossroad of either satisfying her self or taking care of Lili. In the end she chooses her sister a heartbreaking twist to this movie. This movie has no happy endings, rather just a cloud of questions. One character gets married while living a lie. Another is lying about her age in order to continue her true love of acting. The highlight of the movie is a romance that stirs between Layale and a police officer that gives her parking tickets. He loves her but she doesn't feel the same way. Her true love is already taken so my guess is that anything else would feel like settling. This movie was incomplete in my opinion and is open to having a sequel.
I really enjoyed this movie and didn’t realize it was a romantic comedy until I looked it up online! It was definitely different from American romantic comedies, which I liked. It wasn’t the same old story that always comes from a comedy; it was based around 5 women and the drama in their lives. Some of the stuff that they tackled in the movie was surprising me; I didn’t expect the women would be doing stuff that isn’t normal for their culture. I wonder how this movie was viewed in the Middle East; in my opinion, I feel it has a lot of stuff in it that isn’t approved of in their culture. But regardless of that, I thought everyone acted really well and the movie had me laughing the whole time! I only wish that the movie was resolved in the end, it left us at a cliffhanger!
Caramel was a good movie. I liked how it got away from the politics and showed ordinary women with ordinary problems. It didn't have the Hollywood fairytale ending that I personally love, but it wasn't depressing either. Overall I really enjoyed this movie and how it showed that Arabic women aren't as different from us as the media leads us to believe.
I thought that camel was a good movie. It was interesting to see the social issues out of the relm of a standard movie and into the view of comedy. I am glad that it was different and i enjoyed it. It was one movie that i would personaly recomend to any movie lover. I thought it was also cool to see that the women in the movie were simialer to the women here in the united states. I like this movie and cant wait for another movie night.
I thought caramel was a good movie. It dealt with a lot of issues that women have in the Arab world, and how they are expected to care for themselves, each other, and everyone else. There were no politics in the movie, and showed how the women live their normal lives, but also have to hide secret life from everyone else. These four women shared a true friendship that let them reveal their secrets to each other and help each other out.
Carmel was a good movie. I waited the whole time to see candy and was a little shocked at the end when I hadn't seen any but that was cool. Too girlie for my normal movie watches but it was interesting. The women who faked periods made me laugh. It must have been pretty embarassing to have a blood stain on your skirt just before a interview but she handled it ok. Alot of relationships to keep up with but they were not that confusing. All the girls seemed pretty close connected. Must be pretty hard to find a close knit group like that. It was also ver funny when the man was arrestted for talking back to the cop. I would never do that. It seems like it could be expensive. The old woman who ran around grabbing things was also funny.
I found the movie Caramel interesting than the usual horrible ending Arab movie. Each woman had her own social vice or taboo to overcome. In most cases there was a required hardship to endure in order to achieve their goals. I still feel that the Arab culture, which is responsible for their hardships, is far too restrictive, especially towards women. Even as a male, I would not want to live in such a conservative environment. I do acknowledge that the depictions of Caramel are a far cry from the typical western imagery of Arab culture, the hair salon felt like a place I could walk into in the United States.
I found the movie Caramel interesting than the usual horrible ending Arab movie. Each woman had her own social vice or taboo to overcome. In most cases there was a required hardship to endure in order to achieve their goals. I still feel that the Arab culture, which is responsible for their hardships, is far too restrictive, especially towards women. Even as a male, I would not want to live in such a conservative environment. I do acknowledge that the depictions of Caramel are a far cry from the typical western imagery of Arab culture, the hair salon felt like a place I could walk into in the United States.
I really enjoyed the movie Caramel. It was not at all what I had expected and I found alot of the customs and lifestyles of the women to be fairly similar to how many western women live. That being said, there were plenty of superstitions and things considered taboo in the movie that are probably unique to Arabs from Beirut. Each woman in the film was dealing with her own situation and it was neat watching them deal with their ordeal. I think women across the world can relate to the ladies in this film because the type of events they were faced with are present any so many peoples' lives. Everyone knows someone who has dealt with taking care of their elder while still trying to live their own life or someone who has hidden a secret from their loved one. The stories of these women can help to unite and empower the women of the world.
Danielle Ebanks
ReplyDeleteI found the movie Caramel to be an extremely good movie. Before watching the film, I did not know much about the Arab culture in Lebanon. The women cared for one another very deeply. If one of them was in pain, so were the others. This is something I wish there was more of here in America. In addition, they portrayed Arabs to be very conservative in their everyday lives, especially for women that wish to marry. I was also pleased to see the integration of French language and culture into the Arab language and culture. This film was very informational and I would recommend it to any Arabic student.
Jeramie Thurston
ReplyDeleteCaramel turned out to be a pretty good movie. I was quite skeptical when i was told to watch this movie because it had a lot of romance in it and was a story about five women. However this movie gave me great insight about the daily lives of women in Lebanon. Each of these women has a different problem. They all have problems in which women have in every society. Their problems are universal. I also like the many funny parts in the movie. I found it interesting how communal the Arab culture in Lebanon is. The policeman in the beginning was hassling the couple in the car because he thought they were doing things they shouldn't have been doing. Arabs seem to look out for each other. They hold tight to what they believe to be moral and remain conservative. The community seems to be more tighter then the communities in the western world. In conclusion, i liked how the movie did not focus on any war or political but rather focused on the everyday lives of Arabs. It centered on people who go about their lives everyday and have everyday problems. Overall I enjoyed the entire film and would definitely watch it again.
I thought Caramel was a pretty good movie!They were dealing with some life problems that women here in America go through. For example, the woman who was dating the married man, that happens here quite often. Also, I thought that old lady was hilarious! She was making me laugh a lot. One thing I found interesting was how the cop had confronted the man and his fiance while they were in the car. Do the officers usually walk around on foot like that? I know the same thing here happens if a cop sees two people in a car at night, but the officers aren't on foot.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing I thought was very different was how the woman who was dating the married man had to prove that she was married before she could book a hotel room. The hotel clerks also asked her who she would be staying with. Here in America they don't care as long as you have money to pay.
I remember noticing that the film seemed, on the whole, more dialogue driven than most US comedy films, which tend to favor physical gags and situational humor. Watching the film gave me an idea of how ignorant I am about Lebanon. Though I was aware our instructors spoke French, the prevalence of the French language came as something of a shock. The great number of Christians and Christian imagery also surprised me, as I’m given to think of Christians as likely being an underrepresented minority in Arabic countries.
ReplyDeleteIn another class, we read “The Haunted House” by Plautus, and the professor pointed out that one has to understand the mindset of the play’s original Roman audience in order to understand exactly what effects certain jokes are meant to have. For example, a joke about patricide can only be fully understood if one knows how revered fathers were and how much power they held over their families. The joke is shocking, but, in the professor's words, "deliciously so." In Caramel, the seriousness of Bassam’s claim that “not even God will get me out of this car” would be completely lost on someone unaware of how strongly Islam emphasizes His omnipotence. In the U.S., one would only be disturbed by Bassam’s incompliance with the officer, thinking nothing at all of his exclamation by itself.
Darby Galler
ReplyDeleteArabic 1001
I thought Caramel was an overall good movie. One thing that I liked was that it was not a political movie. I understand how politics play a major role in the Middle East, but I liked seeing a movie not about politics. I like that the movie was about everyday problems for those women. Additionally I like the fact that those same issues are ones that are worldwide. This makes the movie very relatable. The older lady, Lili I believe her name was, was very funny I thought. Though I did look up the movie and saw that she was supposed to have mental issues, which makes it a little less comical, but not knowing that made me enjoy her character while watching the movie.
I don't watch that many Arab movies, but I have seen Caramel before - I think it was pretty controversial for an Arab film. Americans may find that strange, considering what we're used to here, but Caramel tackles a lot of issues that are completely taboo in most of the middle-east: adultery, pre-marital sex, and probably the most controversial, homosexuality.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to see these issues tackled in an Arab context. I'm not sure how representative these women were of average Lebanese women, since everything's dramatized for movies and television, but it was also interesting to get a look at Lebanese culture rather than Palestinian or Egyptian, where many Arab films (as least those geared for an international audience) are set.
Nadia Dreid, 2001
ARAB 1101
ReplyDeleteAaron Ward
I thought Caramel was a great movie that defiantly deserved the awards they've won. I like the romantic problems that each character has and all the tension that builds up. For example the main character Layale is in love with a man that is already in a marriage. Harram! Another character is attracted to women. Another is getting married but is not a virigin,.. Each woman has their own problem but together they seem normal. My favorite part of the movie is the character Lili. The directors use her for comedic breakup between all the tension that is stirring throughout the movie. Lili lives with her sister named Rose. Rose is a seamstress that takes care of her unbalanced older sister. Lili has become a hindrance in trying to find true love. In the movie Rose finds her true love but at a crossroad of either satisfying her self or taking care of Lili. In the end she chooses her sister a heartbreaking twist to this movie. This movie has no happy endings, rather just a cloud of questions. One character gets married while living a lie. Another is lying about her age in order to continue her true love of acting. The highlight of the movie is a romance that stirs between Layale and a police officer that gives her parking tickets. He loves her but she doesn't feel the same way. Her true love is already taken so my guess is that anything else would feel like settling. This movie was incomplete in my opinion and is open to having a sequel.
Sandra Hendow
ReplyDeleteArabic 1001
I really enjoyed this movie and didn’t realize it was a romantic comedy until I looked it up online! It was definitely different from American romantic comedies, which I liked. It wasn’t the same old story that always comes from a comedy; it was based around 5 women and the drama in their lives. Some of the stuff that they tackled in the movie was surprising me; I didn’t expect the women would be doing stuff that isn’t normal for their culture. I wonder how this movie was viewed in the Middle East; in my opinion, I feel it has a lot of stuff in it that isn’t approved of in their culture. But regardless of that, I thought everyone acted really well and the movie had me laughing the whole time! I only wish that the movie was resolved in the end, it left us at a cliffhanger!
Caramel was a good movie. I liked how it got away from the politics and showed ordinary women with ordinary problems. It didn't have the Hollywood fairytale ending that I personally love, but it wasn't depressing either. Overall I really enjoyed this movie and how it showed that Arabic women aren't as different from us as the media leads us to believe.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth Gunnels
Arabic 1002
I thought that camel was a good movie. It was interesting to see the social issues out of the relm of a standard movie and into the view of comedy. I am glad that it was different and i enjoyed it. It was one movie that i would personaly recomend to any movie lover. I thought it was also cool to see that the women in the movie were simialer to the women here in the united states. I like this movie and cant wait for another movie night.
ReplyDeleteBrennan patrick
Arabic 1002
I thought caramel was a good movie. It dealt with a lot of issues that women have in the Arab world, and how they are expected to care for themselves, each other, and everyone else. There were no politics in the movie, and showed how the women live their normal lives, but also have to hide secret life from everyone else. These four women shared a true friendship that let them reveal their secrets to each other and help each other out.
ReplyDeleteEvan Solomon
Arabic 1001
Carmel was a good movie. I waited the whole time to see candy and was a little shocked at the end when I hadn't seen any but that was cool. Too girlie for my normal movie watches but it was interesting. The women who faked periods made me laugh. It must have been pretty embarassing to have a blood stain on your skirt just before a interview but she handled it ok. Alot of relationships to keep up with but they were not that confusing. All the girls seemed pretty close connected. Must be pretty hard to find a close knit group like that. It was also ver funny when the man was arrestted for talking back to the cop. I would never do that. It seems like it could be expensive. The old woman who ran around grabbing things was also funny.
ReplyDeleteCharles Bains
Arabic 1001
I found the movie Caramel interesting than the usual horrible ending Arab movie. Each woman had her own social vice or taboo to overcome. In most cases there was a required hardship to endure in order to achieve their goals. I still feel that the Arab culture, which is responsible for their hardships, is far too restrictive, especially towards women. Even as a male, I would not want to live in such a conservative environment. I do acknowledge that the depictions of Caramel are a far cry from the typical western imagery of Arab culture, the hair salon felt like a place I could walk into in the United States.
ReplyDeleteJohn D Howard
Arabic 2002
I found the movie Caramel interesting than the usual horrible ending Arab movie. Each woman had her own social vice or taboo to overcome. In most cases there was a required hardship to endure in order to achieve their goals. I still feel that the Arab culture, which is responsible for their hardships, is far too restrictive, especially towards women. Even as a male, I would not want to live in such a conservative environment. I do acknowledge that the depictions of Caramel are a far cry from the typical western imagery of Arab culture, the hair salon felt like a place I could walk into in the United States.
ReplyDeleteJohn D Howard
Arabic 2002
باسم الله
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the movie Caramel. It was not at all what I had expected and I found alot of the customs and lifestyles of the women to be fairly similar to how many western women live. That being said, there were plenty of superstitions and things considered taboo in the movie that are probably unique to Arabs from Beirut. Each woman in the film was dealing with her own situation and it was neat watching them deal with their ordeal. I think women across the world can relate to the ladies in this film because the type of events they were faced with are present any so many peoples' lives. Everyone knows someone who has dealt with taking care of their elder while still trying to live their own life or someone who has hidden a secret from their loved one. The stories of these women can help to unite and empower the women of the world.