Jalla! Jalla!

This is a multi-cultural comedy. With true love. True sexual problems. A family trying to match-make the wrong couples. Pitbulls. Vacuum pumps. Swedish chewing tobacco. And a parrot who swears in Arabian.

The acting is superb. The story is serious enough to make the characters all the more lovable. Go see it! Now!

This film marks the beginning of a career that hopefully will spawn number of good films in the future. Little known Fares has made an intelligent and very funny film. I totally recommend all people who have the opportunity to see this movie.

I haven't left the cinema on such a high note in a long time; Jalla! Jalla! is a very funny comedy about a man torn between modern European and traditional Lebanese life, who tries to keep both his personae satisfied by continually compromising between the two. It is also a story of the friendship between this Lebanese second-generation immigrant and his colleague Måns. The story takes some time to unfold, but the film's perfectly timed pace makes it a joy to watch even as long as nothing appears to happen, and it only gets better once the action kicks in.

Jalla! Jalla! is about change: grandma is still firmly rooted in the old ways, dad keeps up appearances but turns out more flexible than you thought and Roro is, for all intents and purposes, just as much a modern Swede as a Lebanese. Although he is sincere and outspoken, he's just not able to totally say goodbye to his heritage and his roots. Finally, it was very gratifying to see a film about immigrants without some profound and ostentatious message, but more occupied with the sometimes impossible daily choices between morality and practicality one is forced to make despite the lack of understanding in one's surroundings (and truth be told, neither Måns nor Lisa display much understanding for Roro's predicament). A good 'small' movie, I hope to see more of this director and these actors.

The Lebanese immigrant worker Roro (Fares Fares) and his Swedish colleague and best friend Måns (Torkel Petersson) work in a park in Sweden. Roro and his Swedish girlfriend Lisa (Tuva Novotny) are in love for each other, and Lisa wants to be introduced to his family. Måns is having erection problem with his mate, but is looking for alternative methods to resolve the situation, since he is afraid of going to the doctor. When Roro finally decides to present Lisa to his family, they arrange a wedding for him with the Lebanese Yasmin (Laleh Pourkarim). Yasmin and Roro agree to pretend that they are going to get married to relieve the pressure of their families, leading them to a great confusion.

"Jalla! Jalla!" is a delightful Swedish romantic comedy, a must-see in the genre. On the contrary of Hollywoodian romances, the characters are common people, without fancy cars, expensive cellular and high positions, therefore absolutely believable. Tuva Novotny is amazingly beautiful, and her romantic pair is a man very thin and not handsome, in a non-acceptable Hollywoodian standard. The storyline is very simple, but there are many funny situations in this highly recommended entertainment. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Jalla! Jalla!"

Notice that the similar movie as 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding', with the almost same topics dealing with (trouble of young eastern immigrants with their elders and their newly made relationships) succeeded to become so much popular and profitable.

Both movies are positive, funny and relaxing, but the reason that I prefer Jalla Jalla is that I had no impression that this movie was made to be "holywoodish", as I had watching "the wedding". This one is much more natural and relaxed, and does not present the immigrants as bunch of conservative, raw and uncivilized people.

After a lot much more praised Holywood crap, this is a movie I watched without having a sense of wasted time after.