Metascore
82 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 22 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    88
    It’s much too easy to call Ajami an Arab-Israeli “Crash,’’ but it’s a pretty good place to start.
  2. 89
    Electrifying and decidedly downbeat slice of life and death in Ajami.
  3. 90
    One of the pleasures of Ajami, a tough and in many ways unsparing movie, is its deep immersion in the beats and melodies of everyday life in Jaffa and beyond.
  4. 90
    A remarkable accomplishment, a swirling, choral sea of humanity that forces us to confront that a man who does terrible things can also be a loving father who gives his infant daughter a bath.
  5. 83
    Copti and Shani show characters of different backgrounds interacting peacefully as individuals, then show how those characters subtly change when their affiliation with a group becomes an issue. And always the threat of violence looms.
  6. Ajami is neither a puzzle nor a polemic. It's an admirably even-handed portrait of life in an occupied ghetto that is bounded by checkpoints. Everyone we meet is a more or less honorably motivated victim of circumstance. That the circumstances were inscribed centuries ago makes Ajami a tragedy of biblical proportions.
  7. 90
    A timely and timeless look at the intersecting lives, fortunes and fates of Jews, Christians and Muslims in the fragile Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, Israel.
  8. Reviewed by: Grant Butler
    91
    The film is all the more remarkable because its actors are untrained and their lines are improvised. Clearly, they've lived this.
User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. MattS.
    8
    Fantastic film. Similar to City of God and Gomorrah, but I think this wonderful Israeli film that is better than either of those. The performances by many non-professionals are terrific, and I loved the lived-quality of the scenes and settings, and the emotional intimacy that we shared with these well-developed characters. Well-worth checking out! Israeli cinema is on fire right now. I have a feeling that more people are going to go out of their way to see A Prophet and The White Ribbon than will seek this out -- but it's absolutely worth the effort. If you enjoyed Late Marriage, The Band's Visit or Waltz with bashir -- by all means this is a must-see. Full Review »