Norah

I had the pleasure of watching "Norah" a film by Saudi director Tawfik Alzaidi, and it was a truly remarkable and moving experience. Set in a remote Saudi village during the 1990s, the film follows the story of Norah, a courageous young woman, and Nader, a new teacher in the village. Their encounter sparks creativity and changes their lives forever.

What stood out to me the most was the stunning cinematography set in the AlUla region, which added a unique visual charm to the film. The performances were exceptional, with Yaqoub Al-Farhan and Maria Bahrawi delivering outstanding portrayals, while Abdullah Al-Sadhan added a touch of professionalism to the movie.

Tawfik Alzaidi's direction is truly commendable. His ability to weave a powerful narrative while capturing the beauty of the Saudi landscape is impressive. "Norah" is notably the first feature film entirely shot in AlUla, reflecting the Saudi Ministry of Culture's efforts to support local talents. The film has achieved great success, and I look forward to seeing more from Tawfik Alzaidi in the future. In short, "Norah" is a must-see film that showcases the power of art to transform lives.

I recently watched the movie with high expectations, given its historic significance as a pioneering Saudi film and its selection at Cannes. However, I found the execution lacking in several key areas. The acting did not meet the standards one would expect from a film of this caliber. The performances felt forced and unnatural, which detracted significantly from the story's impact. It's evident that the cast is passionate about their roles, but unfortunately, this did not translate into convincing portrayals on screen. The plot, while holding potential with its themes of artistic repression and self-discovery, failed to engage. The pacing was slow, and the narrative seemed to lack direction, resulting in a tedious viewing experience. The interactions between characters often felt contrived, and the storyline did not develop in a compelling manner. I hope future projects from this team will learn from this experience and deliver more cohesive and engaging films. "Norah" is a significant step, but it falls short in terms of execution and storytelling.

The film "Noura" represents a significant qualitative leap in Saudi cinema, where the director and the artistic team were able to deliver a superb piece of work that reflects high professionalism in all its aspects. The story touches the heart and stirs emotions noticeably, and the characters managed to deliver exceptional performances that deeply engage the viewer with the film's events. It is not just cinematic entertainment but a cinematic experience that expresses great artistic capabilities and impactful human messages.

I wish all the creators of this wonderful work more success and progress, and we look forward to more films that showcase Saudi cinema in its best form on a global level.

As a Saudi, this is the 4th and last Saudi movie I ever attempt to watch. Despite the budgets and technical abilities, this movie absolutely failed to create compelling characters and a plot. There is no plot. The script is garbage. The characters are so superficial it made me sad to watch a talent like Al Sadhan be in such a non-role.

When I read that the movie is written, produced and directed by the same person I was thinking maybe we now have a Saudi Tarantino? What I saw was a Saudi amateur wasting time, money and effort. I made to 45 minutes and walked out of the theatre.

The greatest thing about writing a review about this movie is that you can not have spoilers because NOTHING HAPPENS IN THE MOVIE.

A good movie in terms of directing and photography, but the story is slow and lack interesting events, and the dialogues of the characters in it are characterized by Superficial, non realistic and dominated by literary and intellectual metaphors.. A large number of characters inside the movie do not have a pivotal role in this story, as Dhafer and Noura's grandfather.

The teacher motive and history are a bit ambiguous, Noura character is unbalanced with her environment as she seemed too colorful while her cousin, aunt and other female characters are too quit and have no part in the story.

As if the story one line direction with the main characters. But not interactive with the rest.

If this movie has intelligent writing, it would be one of the best Saudi movies by far.