Laila's Birthday

2008 movie

Rating: 15/20

Plot: Former judge turned taxi driver Abu Laila leaves for work and promises to be home by 8 to celebrate his daughter Laila's birthday. A series of misadventures threaten to get in the way of him reaching his goal.

This tricky little movie sneaks up on you. There just doesn't seem to be much happening to this guy, but then the end of the movie comes and you say, "Huh. I liked that." I did find the ending especially touching, and the entire movie puts a very human spin on the current goings-on in Palestine. I really thought the guy playing the dad (Mohammad Bakri) was fantastic, the perfect example of an actor who can say very little while expressing a whole lot. One thing I don't understand, perhaps because I'm an American with little knowledge about what goes on beyond my front door--if the parents' last name is Laila, and the little girl's first name is Laila, wouldn't that make her Laila Laila? Laila's Birthday is a simple but very effective film.