The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair

Name: The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair
Genre: Documentary
Released: March 23, 2007
Duration: 72 min
Rating: 67

2007

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Generally favorable reviews based on 16 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Ratings

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7.8	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Ratings

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The Prisoner: Or How I Planned To Kill Tony Blair

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Movie Details & Credits

Truly Indie | Release Date: March 23, 2007 | PG-13

Summary: In an absurd comedy of errors, a freedom-loving Iraqi journalist is mistaken as Tony Blair's would-be assassin and sent to Abu Ghraib Prison where he discovers the true meaning of liberation. (Red Envelope Entertainment)

Director: Michael Tucker and Petra Epperlein

Genre(s): Documentary

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 72 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Michael Phillips

The style is brash, and it works. Tucker and Epperlein illustrate Yunis' account of his eight-month imprisonment, much of that time spent at the notorious Abu Ghraib compound, with literal illustrations--pages seemingly torn out of a Frank Miller graphic novel. Read full review

Merle Bertrand

War is chaos and confusion even under the best of circumstances, of which this current fiasco clearly ain’t. The Prisoner… underscores this fact, as well as muddying up the waters on such commonly accepted platitudes as "Support the Troops." Read full review

Elizabeth Weitzman

The film leaves us wondering about all the war stories we haven't heard. Read full review

Joe Morgenstern

What's troubling about the film's technique is its lack of context; we must take Yuris, who speaks serviceable English, pretty much at his word. What's troubling about his story is its ring of truth.

Michelle Orange

Yunis, as he imploringly reminds us, is the Iraqi people, but he is also steeped in Hollywood references, pulling analogies for the U.S. occupation from "Rambo" and "Dirty Harry." Read full review

Nathan Rabin

By recounting Abbas' ordeal as an endless inarticulate monologue, The Prisoner reduces it to a dull anecdote--timely and relevant, perhaps, but an anecdote all the same. Read full review

Mark Olsen

The film becomes a dizzying descent into a world of contradictions, military illogic and ineffectual bureaucracy. Read full review

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Lara

Mar 23, 2007

I saw this film at a New School/WNYC hosted screening in New York last night and had to share how overwhelmingly moving nad strangely uplifting it was. Go see this movie if you want a glimmer of hope that people in this country can sympathize with people in others and we can actually come I saw this film at a New School/WNYC hosted screening in New York last night and had to share how overwhelmingly moving nad strangely uplifting it was. Go see this movie if you want a glimmer of hope that people in this country can sympathize with people in others and we can actually come together in times of great trouble. The filmmaking was completely entertaining and the film funny, almost hilarious at times. 5 stars!… Expand

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AdamH.

Apr 10, 2007

This film is a sequel of sorts to "Gunner Palace" the Iraq film that came out in 2005. Much like that film, The Prisoner is not overtly political, rather, it lets the characters tell the story. In Gunner Palace, the perspective is the American soldier. In The Prisoner, the perspective is This film is a sequel of sorts to "Gunner Palace" the Iraq film that came out in 2005. Much like that film, The Prisoner is not overtly political, rather, it lets the characters tell the story. In Gunner Palace, the perspective is the American soldier. In The Prisoner, the perspective is largely Iraqi. The films should be watched together to fully appreciate. I don't want to give away too much, but I can say that you walk away from this film feeling like you know an Iraqi and have a new sense of just how much the Iraqi people suffered--both under Saddam and during this conflict. The film is also surprisingly funny and it should come with a disclaimer that gives the audience permission to laugh. It would be funny if it wasn't true.… Expand

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