Rent In Between (2016)

A familiar theme hammered home - In Between review by JR

Good performances, but the theme of the film is familiar - the clash between the conservative and sexist values of Palestinian men and parents , and the western free lifestyles of their daughters. One of the flatmates is a lesbian, one is very devout, and the third is a lawyer who is also regular drug and alcohol user. The film maker's political and philosophical points are hammered home in an unsubtle way which detracts from the viewer's involvement with the characters. I began to think the film had been funded by the tobacco industry because almost every frame in the film featured cigarette smoking.

Expected more - particularly the subtitles - In Between review by JS

The problem with film is that it is supposed to transport one beyond the stereotype and engage with the story.

Here, the nuances were often lost in the subtitles.

WHITE ON WHITE SUBTITLES DON'T WORK!! IS ANYONE LISTENING?

The first half floundered without firming up the character relationship.

The second half was much better and the director delivered the expected patriachy, a little bit of the inter-communal tensions but do liberated Palestinian "girls" really behave so outlandishly even in a cosmopolitan city like Tel Aviv?

Strong performances - In Between review by Dax Williams

This film is about the lives of 3 female flatmates in Tel Aviv. Devout Nour, who is engaged to be married, moves in to the spare room of the appartment occupied by Laila and Salma - who follow a less than traditional lifestyle. Like many movies coming out of the Middle East it deals with the clash between generations as well as issues of gender relations, orientation, identity and tradtional values. It is not a heavily plot driven movie, and wont be to everyone's taste, but the central performances of the three women are superb and I found it to be very confidently made and was impressed throughout.

Riveting taboo-breaker - In Between review by Alphaville

A taboo-breaking film about independent young Arab women seeking freedom from reactionary social constraints in modern-day Tel Aviv. Traditional, naïve Nour moves in with girls-about-town Laila and Salma. Cue sex, rape, Lesbianism, drug-taking and chain smoking – a rousing cry for freedom in the face of primitive Middle Eastern male attitudes to women.

A similar British film would be sullied by social realism and Ken-Loach-type politicking, but In Between frees its characters from any agenda save personal independence. It gives them the space to be themselves and gives us the space to become involved in their plights. Unlike the similarly-themed and coruscating Mustang its message will be blunted for some by making its heroines chain-smoking drug-takers, but you’ll soon be rooting for them in their fight for the right to be whatever they want to be. Like Mustang, it’s a character-driven movie that draws in, holds you in its thrall and leaves an indelible impression

Should have been longer - In Between review by AKL

I quite agree with all that JR said. On top of this, I think the film tried to pack too much into its reasonable length. For once it would have been a better mini-series for TV with time and space to develop its characters and their background.