Fluentiama Perfect cast and a good story

Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

Softwing Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

2freensel I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

svikasha In the opening scene of "Timbuktu", a jeep carrying armed men is seen chasing a gazelle across the pristine dessert. This scene is followed by another scene showing militants of the so-called Islamic State shooting at intricate masks and dolls that are undoubtedly cultural icons from the region. "Timbuktu" is a remarkable film for a number of reasons. The timing of the film was so necessary because in the same year that the film came out a self-proclaimed caliphate swept up large swaths of territory across the Muslim world extending its cruel grip even to Africa. The beautiful scenes of the dessert around Timbuktu are accompanied by a masterfully selected soundtrack of tunes from the region. The music is relentless and melancholic, just like the dessert. Both stand as immobile presences throughout the film. In one odd scene, a group of men are arguing Messi and soccer. The audience is purposefully misled into thinking the discussion was about a serious war or series of battles. But the truth is, most boys would rather fight about soccer than something as obscure as religion. Another poetic scene happens during the film when a man is sentenced to 20 lashes for knowing that football is forbidden and still choosing to play. In the next scene, a group of young boys are all playing football, without a ball. The ball is forbidden. The boys in the colorful shirts and shorts end up running around an empty field kicking sand at each other. How can you forbid children from playing? The boys cheer an imaginary goal before they feel the need to stop and hide their activities from a motorcycle patrol. In another instance, a group of fighters are sent to find where music is coming from. When they realize the music is religious in nature and praises Allah and Muhammad they question the need to stop it. More people start to play music as a form of protest. A clearly non- silent protest that can be visibly heard by ISIS patrols in the city at night. A woman sings, "This is my land and this is my Timbuktu. It's children are mourning and suffering. It's the land of love and warmth and dignity. So tell me, why are the children crying? Because of the injustice, violence, and fear of the future. Stop crying, my Timbuktu will always be here. Everything will go fast. You've got little time left". Later in the film, the woman who's beautiful voice carries across the Timbuktu dessert is sentenced to 40 lashes for singing. Another 40 lashes are sentenced for meeting with men in private without her parent's permission. As she kneels and begins to be whipped she continues to sing. It is a poetic protest in response to the so-called Islamic States' cruel and unjust punishment system. An Imam questions the so-called Islamic State's cruelty towards women by scolding, "Remember the words of Allah Almighty. Forgive them. Involve them in decisions. Talk with them. Once you have decided, I put your trust in Allah. Because he loves those who trust him. Where is the mercy? Where is the forgiveness? Where is the piety? Where is the change, the change? Where is god in all this?".The greatest aspect of Timbuktu is the fact that the film doesn't glorify war or violence in the fashion that Hollywood so regularly chooses to. In fact the main struggle of the film is quite simple. Nearby Timbuktu, a territorial fight brews between a fisherman and a cowherd. This struggle is less of an ideological struggle and more of a struggle for survival. A boy loses track of the cowherd's youngest cow which strays into the fisherman's nets. The fisherman kills the cow and in a poignant scene the cow can be heard breathing long after it appears to be dead. The dramatic effect is undeniable. Like Africa, the injured calf will continue to fight for life long after it was left for dead. The cowherd confronts the fisherman and in the ensuing fight a gunshot abruptly interrupts the scene and both characters are seen floating in the water. One of them gets up. The other doesn't. The calm tranquility of the setting stands in contrast to the dark nature of the political situation. The so-called Islamic State confiscated all of the cowherd's cows and property for his alleged murder of the fisherman. The cowherd shows no regret or fear in response to being sentenced to death by the fake caliphate. Before accepting his fate, the cowherd asks the so-called Islamic State commander if he has children. When the commander replies in the affirmative, the cowherd makes one final plea for his daughter and the children of Africa. He says, "What is written will be done. I am at peace with death. We are all his children. We must protect our children. My daughter will not be protected. That hurts my whole being. Down in the grave without knowing what will happen to her. Most of our relatives have already left. But in all this, since there is only one God, I worship, he will make justice. No one escapes his fate. Tell him that it's not death that scares me but not being able to look back".

morrison-dylan-fan Since hearing about it during Oscar season a few years ago, Timbuktu has been a film I've been interested to see,but unable to due to not being able to find a DVD of it. Looking to see what was about to be removed from Netflix UK,I was surprised to find the title! I got set to at last see this Oscar nom title.The plot:Entering Timbuktu,a group of ISIS fighters declare that they are taking over the land,and that everyone must follow their version of Sharia law. Driving round the villages,ISIS force the public to follow the Sharia law,from not playing with a football to no one being allowed to be in a room with a person of the other sex. As ISIS start controlling every aspect in the running of the area,local residence begin trying to speak to the fighters contradictions.View on the film:Remarkably being the first film shot in Mauritania, (standing in for Timbuktu) co-writer/(with Kessen Tall) director Abderrahmane Sissako & cinematographer Sofian El Fani draws lines in the sand with a remarkable poetic quality,from shimmering wide shots looking across the divide of the town via the river,to haunting shots of ISIS fighters standing on roofs to locate people play music illegally. Carefully using Amin Bouhafa's gentle score to give an unsettling calm, Sissako superbly follows the daily battle/grind the residences have with long takes which have a documentary grit.Partly based on the killing of a couple in Aguelhok (northern Mali) by Islamist group Ansar Dine,the screenplay by Sissako and Tall brilliantly examines every area of Timbuktu affected by ISIS's arrival with multiple threads following individuals allowing for a full picture of the horror to emerge. Following a very important current issue,the writers give the dialogue an excellent balance between an almost documentary feel and a sharp poetic quality unveiled in the residence exposing the stark contradictions of the extremists with voices of anger,and a compassionate plea for freedom.

DesiAnge A beautiful movie. Absolute masterpiece! I didn't expect it to be , but when i saw it i was charmed as much as i could ever be. I don't think i ll forget it anytime soon. It is like a dream (and a nightmare in the same time) - another world with different rules from ours, but same people. People who wants to be free, to love, to sing, to play soccer....to enjoy life. People who wants it differently.... Peaceful people who remember what was before the jihadists. This is movie which everybody must see.

brszasz Timbuktu was a very interesting movie. Overall I thought the movie was a little bit boring. Throughout the movie, there were very few excited events, and when those exciting events occurred, they seemed to drag those events out for a really long time. I thought it was an interesting motive to kill someone, because that guy killed one of your cows. I understand there was a lot of built up tension, but that was something kind of ridiculous to put someone over to actually kill a guy. When he finally did kill the guy, he tried to get up over and over again after clearly being killed. The ending was very confusing as well. It seemed as if the entire movie went too slow, but the ending went too fast. It was hard to understand exactly what was going on at the end of the movie. There were many unanswered questions that remained unanswered. The movie could have been much better if they actually answered at least some of those questions.