WasAnnon Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Steineded How sad is this?

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Ben Wadjda is an excellent film in that it shows a glimpse of a society from the prospective of the title character, Wadjda, a young middle class girl in Saudi Arabia.The main conflicts surround Wadjda and her mother. Wadjda wants to buy a bicycle to beat her friend/crush Abdullah in a race. This is very atypical in Saudi society: girls don't ride bikes, it is for boys. This doesn't stop Wadjda, as she enacts a few different schemes to try and raise the needed funds. Unfortunately, she clashes with the school principal, Ms. Hussa. Ms. Hussa attempts to "save" Wadjda by constantly reprimanding her. Eventually, Wadjda decides to sign up for a Qur'an recitation competition to win the money for her bike.Wadjda's mother is also having problems. She is at ends with her husband, who is constantly away and wants a son that becomes more evident that she can not produce. She is still deeply in love with him. Her other problem is with riding with her dim-witted, easily agitated driver (this was made before women could drive in Saudi Arabia).One of the best parts of the film is the characters interactions, Wadjda and Abdullah's budding friendship/romance. Wasjda and her mother's slow estrangement her father is particular hard to watch. This is a potent movie and seems very realistic. They don't tell the watcher what to believe and leave things as are.: (for Westerners) an eye opening look at one of the most conservative societies on the planet.Everyone involved in the project should give themselves a hand, the did very well.

zzzorf This was a beautiful little movie. While I don't know much about the religion the movie was simple enough that it filled in any gaps that I had to understand what was going on. The story was simple which allowed for more exploration of the characters, thus making you care more. All round this was a good movie that I recommend for anyone to watch if you get a chance.

Lily Schneider The film, Wadjda, directed by Haifaa Al-Mansour, was one of the best films I have ever seen. It was truly inspirational for all girls especially, and I loved it! The actress, Waad Mohammed, did an amazing job playing her role. She was such a strong and independent girl, who despite all the name calling for being a girl, never let the boys pull her down. I loved this about her, and she inspired me to never give up and let the boys beat me down.

Paulina Palero Many of you might have watched this movie without really knowing the history behind it and how much this movie really means to the women of Saudi Arabia and to their country on general. Wadjda is not simply a movie about the oppressing rules in Saudi Arabia and how a girl over comes them. The movie itself is an example of this. Haifaa Al-Mansour is the first Saudi woman director of the country. She had to fight for almost 3 years to get the financial support to get the movie made and once she did she face difficulties while filming because she could not be seen interacting with the men of the crew in public so she had to stay inside of a ban from where she directed which made it extremely difficult to do so. Wadjda was also the first feature length movie shoot entirely in Saudi Arabia and with a mostly Saudi cast. This was also the first movie the country ever submitted to be considered by the Academy Awards, it did not get nominated but the simple fact that it was submitted speaks a lot about how important this movie is.Of course, the story of Wadjda had a lot to do with the recognition of the movie. The story of a girl who want to ride a bicycle in a country where bicycles are only for boys. Wadjda doesn't give up and does whatever she has to do to get her bicycle and race her friend. We see the character of the movie overcome many obstacles on their lives, from simply cutting their hair to taking responsibility for their actions. The movie clearly criticizes the society of Saudi Arabia but it also shows how the people of the country can help make it better and that it is possible for it to get better. The movie was controversial when it first came out, Haifaa Al-Mansour faced criticism for the source of her movie calling it anti-religious, which she denied. The movie was still a big success in the country which shows how there is hope for it to change for the better and how it is already changing.