Christian Review Magazine Issue 1 - Nov/Dec 2014 | Page 19

MOVIE REVIEW “A moving, nail-biting, and haunting thriller…” S Title: THE GREEN PRINCE Rating: Starring: Mosab Hassan Yousef, Gonen Ben Yitzhak Written by: Nadav Schirman, Mosab Hassan Yousef Directed by: Nadav Schirman Genre: Docudrama, Thriller, True Story Running Time: 95 minutes pies. Betrayal. Friendship. Religion. Loyalty. All of these these themes, and many more, are to be found in the docudrama, The Green Prince. Piecing together actual film footage with interviews, the filmmakers create a film that is at once disturbing and uplifting. Mosab Yousef is the son of the one of the founding members of the Palestinian Islamic organization, Hamas. After being found in possession of a gun, and his subsequent arrest, Mosab finds himself in an Israeli interrogation room. And there he agrees to become an informant for The Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency. At first Mosab agrees to become an informant if only to save his neck; he has no real intention of ratting out his own people. But when he sees how quickly Hamas is devolving into an organization of terror, he realizes that he doesn’t have much of a choice but to spy on them, especially if he wants to save human lives. MPAA Rating: Production Company: A List Films, Telepool, Uzrad Productions, Passion Pictures, Red Box Films Music Box Films Reviewed by: Christian St John Production wise, the film is expertly made. The cinematography, sound, and editing are all excellent, and make for a great viewing experience. Of particular note is the music, which added a lot of atmosphere to the finished film. The Green Prince is a sobering film to watch, as the people talking on-screen are the actual people involved in the story. Mosab and his ex-handler, Gonen Ben Yitzhak, are both very open, and there is a depth of emotion captured in this docudrama that probably wouldn’t have translated as well had this been a Hollywood produced movie adaptation of the story. As for negative content, there is talk of violence, including torture, murder, rape and child abuse, as well as some brief footage of explosions, bomb victims (bodies are seen), missiles being launched, and soldiers arresting people. In light of what’s been happening in Middle East recently, The Green Prince is a timely movie, as it gives some insight into how terror groups work and what some people are doing to stop them. It’s not a perfect system or solution by any means. But this was, and still is a war for many. PG-13 Released by: thriller that right away pulled me in and kept me glued to the screen. What follows is a story filled with the kind of tension and suspense often found in a Tom Clancy novel, except this story is real… it actually happened! The Green Prince is a moving, nail-biting, and haunting Mosab Yousef is a man who found the courage to do what was right, even though it still costs him to this day. The Green Prince is a worthwhile film and comes highly recommended. CHRISTIAN REVIEW > 17