Beneath a Sea of Lights

Another reviewer wrote this was a low budget movie with bad actors. It's a thing I didn't get. I didn't see any bad acting at all. On the contrary I thought Barkhad Abdi and Jim Sarbh, the two main characters, did a good job. The only thing that didn't look real was a fight between them, but all the rest was more than decent. The movie isn't fast paced but it isn't really necessary to tell this story. It's a recognizable story about people trying to get by, both in their own way, in a country where luxuary is omnipresent. I thought it was worth a watch. I've seen thousands of worse movies so I'm not going to complain about this one at all.

It's a children's story about right and wrong. Don't be fooled by other reviews urging you to search for a deeper meaning. This is not a portrayal of an immigrants life, it's just an extremely simple tale being acted out in an incredibly basic way by b-rated actors that could have taken place anywhere by people of all different layers of society. I think you can summarize the entire movie with a Stones song: 'You can't always get what you want'. The acting. Good god, the acting. Even with a script that feels like it was written by a 13 year old these guys can't pull off one convincing line and any chemistry between the main characters was hard to find. Reading other people's praises about these so called actors baffles me. The cinematography was mediocre at best. There were a few good shots; nothing memorable really. Same goes for the soundtrack, which is bloated with dramatic vibes which try to hide the fact that there's absolutely nothing going on. I have no idea who the target audience for this laughable attempt at a compelling story is but I'd recommend anyone with half a brain to stay far away from this.

Abdi fills the role of a struggling immigrant in Dubai, warring between paying for his mom's hospital bills and material things. It's a decent story of character and integrity - but it doesn't really grip you...it's like a lazy river tale.

It is similar to The White Tiger except that it is much better well written, more realistic, and with a more positive message. Without going into spoilers, I just like to point out a lot of the film is symbolism. If you just take everything for what is shown, it is a straight up story. But when you look at the meaning of the characters, you'll realize this whole story is about a person's inner struggle between right and wrong.

The plot and the storytelling style is very good. Acting is brilliant too. Overall artistic and technical execution - specially editing and music is very filmic. A must watch for 'good film' lovers.

I really enjoyed this film. I like the way the main character was portrayed, a decent, honest individual. It showed how desperate people can become and how easily it is to blinded by the wealth and glitz of Dubai. Barkhad Abdi was excellent in it. Definitely one to watch!