Osama

Forget about movies that make you cry; this movie will make you sad to exist!

Beautiful acting in this fantastic debut piece. But oh gaawwwwd is it ever depressing.

Very horrifying movie.

very depressing,though quite accurate, even though i think more on the "heightened hysterical" side

There's not a lot of hope to be found in this devastating 2003 film about a girl living in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime. The film is made with an all-amateur cast, which is a bit of a mixed blessing. Fortunately Marina Golbahari does a very convinving job as the main character. In terms of cinematography, editing and such the film is somewhat lackluster, but it doesn't detract much. The worst thing I can say about this movie is that it has basically ruined my day, if not my whole week.

An excellent film made under extraordinary circumstances. Very good performances from all involved, which had to be mentioned as they are non-professional actors.

It's not always easy to watch, but at the same time, it's impossible to take your eyes off of it. Haunting.

Like a slow-moving car crash: this subtle, low-key tale builds and builds its tension by not attempting to overtly moralise but rather allow the suffocating horror of the situation to materialise organically, especially in Golbahari's naturalistic and completely convincing performance. No efforts at SJW sanctimony here, which makes the film that much powerful; leads to a poignant, halting finale which resolves nothing and everything, and only grows in power the longer you are left to ponder it.

This movie won many awards, including from Cannes FF. With the budget just under 50000, one can make such a successful film - that's amazing. Film is full of suspense and first time actors/actresses. As it is Taleban regime movie, i cant remember that there was much of shooting going on.

:-(

A bleak but interesting story about life in Afghanistan. I liked how the story was but but was kind of confused by the camera work as at times it almost felt like a mockumentary.

Horrendous story about a young girl who has to pretend to be a boy to help her family survive, gets inducted into the Taliban. When she is found out, the death penalty is commuted and instead given to an old man with many wives. The story was difficult to stay awake and watch, but it effectively drives home the religious stupidity that is rampant in that part of the world. Points for trying to expose such atrocities but the movie is really hard to get through.

"May seem redundant after Jafar Panahi's more structurally impressive The Circle or Mohsen Makhmalbaf's absurdist Kandahar, but it's no less powerful." - Ed Gonzalez

*Osama* is a remarkable film about Afghanistan, made by an Afghani director. It is a work of fiction, but it has the look and feel of an insider's account of gender issues (especially involving women and children) in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. The narrative takes place in the not-too-distant past but quite possibly foretells the future, given the current state of the war in the area.

Muy Buena

more like Oblama. Cause...blah.

Kind of made me want to kill myself, it was so depressing.

These were non-actors? I wish there were more actors as good as these non-actors. Horribly sad story deserves to be told, but the direction is poor.

brilliant doc-like reality burst of what it's like for people living inside an insanely restricted society. very moving.

Your didacticism bores me, and illuminates nothing.