The War Within (Over the Mountains) (2005)
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72% of critics liked it
(58 reviews) -
61% of users liked it
(853 ratings)
The war on terror has an unusual effect on one man in this independent drama. Hassan (Ayad Akhtar) was an engineering student from Pakistan who, while studying in Paris, was one of several Pakistani students arrested by intelligence officers on suspicion of participating in international terrorist… More The war on terror has an unusual effect on one man in this independent drama. Hassan (Ayad Akhtar) was an engineering student from Pakistan who, while studying in Paris, was one of several Pakistani students arrested by intelligence officers on suspicion of participating in international terrorist activities. Hassan was innocent of any crimes, but it took him hours to convince the authorities of this. By the time Hassan was released, his attitude about the West had begun to change, and in time he began to identify with the terrorists with whom he had been unwittingly associated. Hassan then renounces his old life, joins a radical group, and illegally slips into the United States with the aim of staging a major terrorist action in New York City. Hassan comes to stay with an old friend, Sayeed (Firdous Bamji), and his family; Hassan has told Sayeed and his wife (Sarita Choudhury) that he's come to New York in search of a job, but in time Sayeed suspects his friend has a different agenda in mind. The War Within was screened as part of the 2005 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Joseph Castelo
- Genres
- Art House & International, Drama
R,
- In Theaters
- Sep 30, 2005 Wide
- Studio
- Magnolia Pictures
Critic Reviews
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Jason Anderson, Globe and Mail
Akhtar, who also co-wrote the screenplay, is unable to convey Hassan's internal conflicts with any force.
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Marta Barber, Miami Herald
The storyline in The War Within is far from fluid and, at times, overwrought. But it doesn't stop the film from capturing one's interest.
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Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
Very good.
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John Anderson, Newsday
Madly rational and persuasive political drama.
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Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
Well-made, well-informed and apparently well-meant psychological thriller.
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
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Cast
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Ayad Akhtar
as Hassan
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Firdous Bamji
as Sayeed
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Nandana Sen
as Duri
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Sarita Choudhury
as Farida
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John Ventimiglia
as Gabe
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Varun Sriram
as Ali
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Aasif Mandvi
as Abdul
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Ajay Naidu
as Naveed
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Mike McGlone
as Mike O'Reilly
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Robert Martin Carroll
as Agent #2
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Jeff Ward
as CIA Agent #2
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Manny Siverio
as Stunt Coordinator
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Per Melita
as Terrorist
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David Connolly
as Male Passenger #2
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Roy Farfel
as CIA Agent #1
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David Bishins
as Tall Agent
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Kamal Marayati
as Imam Hamza
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Angel Desai
as Reporter
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Charles Daniel Sandoval
as Khalid
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Goli Samii
as Female Passenger
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Samrat Chakrabarti
as Chief Inspector Khan
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Anjeli Chapman
as Rasheeda
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Wayman Ezell
as Izzy
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James Rana
as Saudi Man
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Chritopher Castelo
as Steven
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Christine Commesso
as News Anchorwoman
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John Zibell
as Officer Carroll
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Joseph Ascolese
as Cop #1
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Douglas Paretti
as Cop #2
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Michael Balsely
as Agent #1
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Glenn Pike
as CIA Agent #3
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Vanessa Landino
as Receptionist
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Deepti Gupta
as Woman #1
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Farah Bala
as Woman #2
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Deepa Purohit
as Woman #3
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Troy Hall
as Male Passenger #1
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Dianne Busch
as Ticket Clerk
- Michael McGlone
