In The Land of Eden

Author(s): Ryne (OR)
In the Land of Eden

Directed by Brian DePalma
Written by Stephen Gaghan

Cast:

Ayelet Zurer as Safia Negara
Shohreh Aghdashloo as Nina Aghajan
Jonathan Ahdout as Rahman Negara
Aramis Knight as Hafeez Negara
Homayoun Ershadi as Fr. Rawand al-Maliki
Cliff Curtis as Hani Negara
Emile Hirsch as Charlie Rose
Jamie Foxx as Adam Mackie
Jackie Earle Haley as Timothy Wolcott
Jeremy Piven as Dean Novak

Tagline: "In the Birth Place of Faith, Differences Matter"

Synopsis:

Prologue: Once integrated peacefully under the rule of Saddam Hussein, Iraq's Christian population has been decimated since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Muslim extremists have murdered priests, burned churches, pillaged Christian-owned shops, and destroyed homes. Priests in Iraq estimate that fewer than 500,000 Christians remain, about a third of the number as before 2003.

Prior to the overthrowing of Saddam Hussein, the Negara family lived peacefully in the city of Balad running a local liquor store, a common practice for Christian families. Hani (Curtis) would wake up early every morning to open shop while Safia (Zurer) stayed home to take care of her aging mother Nina (Aghdashloo), and the couple's two children, 8 year old Hafeez (Knight) and 16 year old Rahman (Ahdout), went to school. Every Sunday, the family would attend church led by Fr. Rawand al-Maliki (Ershadi), who converted to Christianity during his teenage years. Life was good for the Negara's that was until April 9, 2003 when Baghdad fell and the rule Saddam Hussein ended.

In a matter of day, anti-Christian rioters began to take to the streets of Balad. They quickly moved through the city, setting fire to any Christian store they could find. The Negara's liquor store was no exception. They burned the store down calling it the work of Lblis, devil, and when Hani tried to stop them, they shot him several times in the head leaving him dead in the streets. When Hani did not come home that night, Safia and Rahman went to the store in search of him. Safia could not believe her eyes. They began to swell with tears while Rahman attempted to comfort his mother. Balad was no longer safe for the Negara family.

With no place else to turn to, Safia packs and takes her mother and boys to the church where they will stay until the riots die down. Once they die down, Safia hopes to try to flee to Syria to start a new life. Fr. al-Maliki welcomes them, but urges them to leave as soon as possible because of the growing threat to the church. In the middle of the second night, a loud noise rings from outside, waking Safia and Nina from their sleep. The two rush outside to find a fiery blaze coming from Fr. al-Maliki's home. A suicide bomber has driven his car into the house and blown it up.

Just as Safia and Nina turn around to go back to the church, lights aim at them from all around. This is sure to be the end. The lights begin to approach the women revealing the faces of four United States soldiers. Charlie Rose (Hirsch), the young idealist, Adam Mackie (Foxx), the cocky and arrogant rebel, Timothy Wolcott (Haley), who does what he is told and speaks very little, and Dean Novak (Piven), the sarcastic jokester. The soldiers have been trapped in the "hot zone" of Balad for several hours unable to get any help. Safia tells the soldiers the situation her family is in. The soldiers agree to take them to the air base right outside the city where they can be transported to safety. The problem is the dawn is rising and the riots will start again very soon. The soldiers and Negara must move quickly while remaining unnoticed to get out of Balad alive.

What the Press would say:

Brian DePalma's new film "In the Land of Eden" is a modern masterpiece that forces the audience to look past our prejudice of the Iraq War and to the people affected the most. It is a haunting movie that will suck its audience in and leave them shaken. In a Christian society, such as the US, it is difficult to think of a place where freedom of religion does not exist. Sadly, this is the case with Iraq where many consider to be the birthplace of religion. Brian DePalma's direction does a superb job at taking us to the horrors of Iraq and not apologizing for it. He asks each one of his actors to challenge themselves and they deliver magnificently starting with Ayelet Zurer. Zurer, one of Israel's most acclaimed actresses, gives a performance that will leave you stunned. It is very rare that a lead performance commands every scene, but Zurer's performance will leave your breathless. She transports you effortlessly through the heart-break and the joy; through life and death. It is simply a majestic performance that should be her breakout in the United States and for the Academy. Shohreh Aghdashloo gives an extremely powerful performance as Safia's aging mother Nina. Nina is a strong independent woman and it pains her to rely on others to help her as she grows old. Aghdashloo portrays these emotions superbly. She is able to do the subtle things that merit a great performance. The child actors, Jonathan Ahdout and Aramis Knight, give performances that are unbecoming of their age. They are mature and display a wide range of emotion. I see a bright future for each of them. The four US soldiers each give very solid performances that compliment each other perfectly. The best of them, however, comes from young Emile Hirsch who gives a ground breaking performance. Charlie Rose is everything a soldier should not be. He is unsure of himself, too emotional, some might say he cares too much about the people he fights. In a world where "macho" is everything, it is almost as if Hirsch is telling everyone that it is okay to be that way; that its "macho" to be brave enough to show your emotions and tell people how you feel. It is truly unbelievable. Jeremy Piven is also great in a role for the ages. He is sarcastic and witty as usual that acts as an excellent comic relief for the powerful last act. Overall, the strong performances and rich direction make In the Land of Eden one of the best movies of the year.

FYC:

Best Picture
Best Director (Brian DePalma)
Best Actress (Ayelet Zurer)
Best Supporting Actress (Shohreh Aghdashloo)
Best Supporting Actor (Emile Hirsch)
Best Supporting Actor (Jeremy Piven)
Best Original Screenplay