Rosewater

Parental Rating: R

Contains: Language    Violence    Adult Content    

Jill's Review

Opens November 27, 2014

Runs 103 minutes

Jon Stewart's directing debut focuses on Maziar Bahari (Gael Garcia Bernal), an Iranian/Canadian journalist who was arrested and detained as a spy. He was brutally interrogated for 118 days and he was kept blindfolded most of the time. His torturer's one defining characteristic was that he smelled of rosewater. Part of the reason they thought Bahari was a spy was an interview and comedy sketch he did for the Daily Show.  That lead to Jon Stewart's obvious interest in the project. Bahari was able to keep a positive attitude throughout his entire ordeal and he was eventually released, with a lot of behind the scenes negotiating by foreign powers.

This was a thought-provoking and very relevant film. Especially, with some of the discussions about what really constitutes torture. However, it also seemed a little flat. It was based on a true story, which makes it harrowing but I wasn't pulled in quite as much as I should have been. Not a bad movie. Just not a great one, either. 

Movie Search

Find a movie by name, genre, or ranking.