User reviews

Beirut Hold'em is a film about a man that is back from Australia, and try to overcome his trauma of his tragic brother death, that he wasn't there with him. So not only he tries to rebuild himself but regain his consciousness by finding his lost love in a non-controlled self woman. And after his father enter the hospital he struggles to find money for the hospital fees. So he starts his own way of gambling and tricks.

This film is the second feature film directed by Michel Kammoun, who proven himself to one of the best independent Lebanese filmmakers. The silence in this film is very heavily done great, because no words can describe the feeling that this has. The cinematography is spectacular, the acting especially from the lead actor is amazing and very perfectly calm, reminding me of Ryan Gosling performance in Drive (2011) {the main character in Beirut Hold'em has a scorpion tattoo and Ryan Gosling in Drive was always wearing the jacket which has the scorpion symbol on its back, and the animal scorpion has many deep meaning to analyze in relation of the character study}

Now the film teaches us to go with the flow, nothing is planned and can be planned, and always life gives punishments for the weak and helpless. And usually roads are close in front of you, but you don't have to stop, you need to find another road, like the main character did. And no one can know what life is even if it end. So time will and is passing and we are in it trying to survive and understand, but most importantly experience even if it's a little, the beauty of the dream of the world.