The Imperialists Are Still Alive! (2011)

83% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(250 ratings)

A successful visual artist working in post-9/11 Manhattan, Asya (Elodie Bouchez) lives the life of the hip and glamorous, replete with exclusive art parties, supermodels, and stretch limousines while she carefully follows the situation in the Middle East on television. Asya learns that her childhood… More A successful visual artist working in post-9/11 Manhattan, Asya (Elodie Bouchez) lives the life of the hip and glamorous, replete with exclusive art parties, supermodels, and stretch limousines while she carefully follows the situation in the Middle East on television. Asya learns that her childhood friend, Faisal, has disappeared-the victim of a purported CIA abduction. That same night, she meets Javier (Jose Maria de Tavira), a sexy Mexican PhD student, and romance blossoms. Javier finds Asya's conspiracy theories overly paranoid-but nothing in Asya's world is as it seems. Asya's life is reflective of the themes of cultural fusion, and the complications and humor that arise simultaneously out of everyday life. Zeina Durra's atmospheric debut feature, which premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival is an alluring and intelligent look at the way the war on terror seeps into the texture of everyday American life. Gorgeous 16 mm grain imbues the film with an anachronistic feel that interestingly evokes times past. THE IMPERIALISTS ARE STILL ALIVE! is an exceptional work heralding the arrival of Durra as an exciting new directorial talent. -- (C) IFC Films

Directed By: Zeina Durra
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 15, 2011 Limited
Studio: IFC Films

Critic Reviews

Robert Koehler, Variety
Nothing is resolved in the film, but Bouchez and De Tavira are exceptionally paired, and attuned to Durra's easygoing intellectual eros shorn of dramatics.
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
The Imperialists Are Still Alive! is an admirable film in many ways as its young writer-director, Zeina Durra, explores a subculture right before our eyes that remains mostly unseen.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
Too concerned with being cool to work up much in the way of political outrage, much less narrative drive.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
A multicultural vision of urbanity coalesces that is very different from that of a typical movie of impoverished immigrants trying to assimilate in an outer borough.
Karina Longworth, Village Voice
Occasionally, Durra loses her nerve and spells out her intentions, but she's at her best when both her commentary and her comedy are nearly imperceptible.
Richard Brody, New Yorker
The filmmaker reserves her very gentle satire for the blithe, class-based assumptions of wealthy Middle Eastern expatriates and the macho traditions of their poorer fellow-émigrés.
Leslie Stonebraker, New York Press
But for all it's faults in title, plotting and editing, The Imperialists Are Still Alive! contains the promise of a distinct female voice in independent cinema.
David Noh, Film Journal International
With The Imperialists Are Still Alive!, writer-director Zeina Durra has made a quirkily appealing film which intriguingly manages to feel both slight and authentically weighty at the same time.
Neil Miller, Film School Rejects
If it accomplishes one thing, it is that Durra shows herself to be an exciting young director. She has a sense of style and a sense of character. And her film has a lot of character because of it.
Eric Kohn, indieWIRE
The first-time director's refreshingly credible portrait of a boho character with Middle Eastern origins rectifies the aforementioned canonical gap in a witty, naturalistic generational snapshot.
Bill Weber, Slant Magazine
A New York artist of Middle Eastern background tries to mesh resistance and romance in Zeina Durra's '70s-textured seriocomic debut.
Alison Willmore, AV Club
The film is ultimately more interesting than engaging; Durra doesn't yet have a grasp of the simultaneous warmth and needle-sharp satirical sense that infuse Stillman's films.

Read all 12 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Byron B

Another art film I was able to see at the Cleveland Institute of Art's Cinematheque. I knew nothing about it beforehand besides the blurb printed in the Cinematheque's calendar, which said it was inspired by the films of Whit Stillman. And that didn't help me out… More
Another art film I was able to see at the Cleveland Institute of Art's Cinematheque. I knew nothing about it beforehand besides the blurb printed in the Cinematheque's calendar, which said it was inspired by the films of Whit Stillman. And that didn't help me out because I am not familiar with his films. Anyways, I gave it a shot and found it funny at times. Usually funny in the way that reality shows are funny because it is awkward watching spoiled self-important types show off how spoiled and self-important they are. There is a heart buried under the story of these glamorous hipster types though too. Elodie Bouchez as Asya is an artist born in France whose parents are of Middle Eastern decent. She learns that an ex-boyfriend was possibly abducted or at least has been prevented from leaving the Middle East when a military coup occurs. In a post-9/11 world the CIA suspects nearly everyone of Middle Eastern decent of potential terrorism. The ex-boyfriend's brother Karim still lives near Asya in Manhattan and is protective toward her. Asya's friend Tatiana was engaged to marry the ex-boyfriend very soon. Will he survive? Will he make it home to America? While all this is worrying Asya she goes about her life. After an art show including some of her work, she meets Javier, played by Jose Maria de Tavira, a Mexican law student. As they become closer, their circle of friends (and humorously whoever else wants to latch on to their young ritzy life) continue to go clubbing where there is always one friend too drunk to get home or to the next bar alone. The chemistry between Elodie and Jose is strong as their relationship develops. They laugh when they go on a date to a dance recital, just the two of them, because the dance is impossibly pretentious, but they seem unaware that their lifestyle is often just as pretentious. The pace and story challenge expectations in a good way, but I didn't always find it very meaningful.

Currently unavailable on Flixster

Also available on

Other Retailers

Not Available

Subscription Services

Stream Now

Not Available

Cast

Élodie Bouchez
as Asya, Aysa
José María de Tavira
as Javier
Karim Saleh
as Karim
Rita Ackerman
as Libby
Marianna Kulukundis
as Athena
Alexis Savino
as Luke
Nidal Said
as Adaweeya
Joe Donovan
as Andrew
Elena Chang
as Pedicurist #1
Julie Mun
as Pedicurist #2
Sumy Ahn Lee
as Sun-Tae
Vanessa Hope
as Alicia
Esosa Edosomwan
as African Dancer
Victoria Aitken
as Lady in Bathroom
Karolina Müller
as Tatiana
Sophie Auster
as Savina
Pierluca Arancio
as Marco
Eduardo Constantini
as Antonio
Rodrigo Lopresti
as Eagle
Henry Kwan
as Man at Chinatown Bar
Jackson Ning
as Gary
King Wong
as Lee
Sebastian Beacon
as Eurotrash Boy
Darren "Disco" Copeland
as Doorman
Ran Ka
as Madame Al-Basha
Munirah Alatas
as Suha
Karen Lynn Gorney
as Elizabeth
R.N. Rao
as John
Arianne Recto
as Linda
Mary Maybank
as Yvette
Natalia Zisa
as Maribelle
Bill Hart
as Environmental Dancer
Mike Mikos
as Environmental Dancer
Wil Petre
as Environmental Dancer
Laine Rettmer
as Environmental Dancer
John Robichau
as Environmental Dancer
Natalie Thomas
as Environmental Dancer
Kristin Warnick
as Environmental Dancer
Ricky Garcia
as Van Driver
Laura Patalano
as Sandra
Marilyn McDonald
as Hair Lady
Israel Hernandez
as Ricky
Robert 'Toshi' Kar Yuen Chan
as Chinese Grocer
Coati Mundi
as Officer Lopez
Haythem Noor
as Jamal
Foad Attel
as Tarek
Neville Aurelius
as Bartender
Alexander Wraith
as Mohammed
Ted Arcidi
as Don
Reza Salazar
as Miguel
Kaddur Habari
as Arabic Radio Report
Fabian Thelma
as French Television News Report
Camilla Webster
as American Television News Report
Peter Hilton
as English Television News Report
Mona Husami
as Asya's Mother's Voice
Saadi Soudavar
as Asya's Brother's Voice

See more (56)

The Imperialists Are Still Alive! (2011)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Byron B

Also available on

Other Retailers

Subscription Services

Cast

More Like This

Watch offline from your computer

Flixster Desktop

Watch on your TV

Google TV

Microsoft XBOX 360

Sony Playstation 3

Watch on your tablet

iPad

Kindle Fire, Kindle Nook

Android tablets

Watch on your phone

iPhone, iPod Touch

Android phones

Are you sure?

Google TV Get the Flixster app , then sign in	Microsoft XBOX 360 Get the Vudu app, connect to UltraViolet. Rentals currently not available. Flixster app coming soon!
Sony Playstation 3 Get the Vudu app, connect to UltraViolet. Rentals currently not available. Flixster app coming soon!

iPad Get the Flixster app , then sign in	Kindle Fire, Kindle Nook Get the Flixster app , then sign in
Android tablets Get the Flixster app , then sign in