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List Price: $9.99 | | Label: Monarch Video
Salesrank: 40651
Released: June 26, 2007 |
| Our Price: $6.41 |
| Used Price: $0.94 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Ludovico is a precious stone merchant who trades between europe & the middle east. On the surface ludovico is a charming & charismatic man underneath lies a secret: ludovio is a christian converted to islam for whom terrorism is a religious duty of the highest order. Studio: Monarch Video Assoc. Release Date: 12/09/2008 Starring: Harvey Keitel Jordi Molla Run time: 107 minutes Rating: R
The Stone Merchant Reviews:
See Jane! 
2009-02-25 - See Jane in bed. Hear Jane. Hear Jane pant, squeal and moan!
I love Jane!
"Not to be missed...!"
2008-10-22 - This is one of those rare gems of a film that somehow fell through the cracks of Hollywood mainstream... but should be seen by more people, indeed.
I felt the story-line was a bit implausible, mostly in the "coincidental" meeting of the main characters, all at the same time, at a rather off-the-beaten path locale -- and for two of those main characters to quite become so "involved" with each other, (I mean with the age differences, and "attractability" factors, not making it a believably-positive connection for the most part). Sweeping all that aside, we are given a real treat in viewing a part of Turkey no one hardly ever sees; we are given some stunningly good camera work, at the beginning, and throughout the film in general; the acting is above board, and the "professor" is an extremely well-done part, with a character barely ever encountered in film -- and realistically so!
Granted, there may be a few flaws that are a bit incongruous. Such as: why do they really need "the dove," anyway? (I surmise that part was tied in only as a double way to get to the professor; AND the weakness of the merchant himself, at the last tally, is a little lacking... yet somewhat understood.) But the message in this film is NOT to be dismissed as fanciful, or merely imaginative, or just for the sake of drama. While I mournfully realize this could incite and underscore prejudice towards Muslims in general, one must discern that Islamic radicals, while indeed Muslim, are in a rather special category all their own -- and not to be ignored for their intended lethal-ity.
All in all, I found this one of the better films I've seen in the last couple of years -- since Hollywood has NOT been on the "keen edge" lately of putting out too much of worthwhile/enjoyable note. For anyone who may have missed this in the first go-around, it should be rented for a more than intriguing, satisfying, and thought-provoking evening at home.
This was a really pleasant surprise. Warts and all.
Dangerous typecasting about muslims 
2008-07-01 - another stupid movie who mix typecastings about religion, culture, individuals behaving ...
nothing to compare with reality.
It is as dangerous as the islamic danger they want to show.
Pathetic
This a racist movie
2008-01-26 - I think that this movie is racist against all Muslims. It is made by extremists that do not balance ideas. 98% of this movie is about showing how you cannot trust Muslims because at the end 100% of them are terrorists ready to kill themselves and innocent people. There is not one normal Muslim figure in this movie ALL the characters are terrorists. They tried in 2% of the movie to explain mildly that not all Muslims are extremists and terrorists but really it was buried in the middle of all the rest. I am very disappointed that people who have talent, money, creativity produce a message that does not help anyone. They should explain without taking sides and be more open. The real danger that we face today is having people who are close minded and believers in this myth of west versus east. They forget as this movie showed rightly that either we like it or not we are all connected. It is time to be responsible and not indulge in cliché and stop creating more hatred than there is on earth at the moment. I do not recommend this movie to anyone who would like to understand Islam or simply be a responsible habitant of Earth.I gave 1 star because otherwise the system does not work but my rating is 0 star.
Plausible story, great set design, cinematography...otherwise not very good at all. 
2007-09-13 - This is a movie about Islamic terrorists, not Islam or Christianity. The main character, Alceo, is a victim of terrorism, a journalist turned scholar who has become obsessed with learning about why his legs were taken away and so many innocents are murdered in the name of Allah.
When we meet him, he is a modern-day Cassandra who recites reason after reason why we find ourselves in a cultural, religious war (like it or not) yet who is dismissed as paranoid and unreasonable.
I failed to find anything in his character's lines that were historically or factually inaccurate. Yet he is ignored and dismissed by everyone, of course, including his wife, his colleagues, and the police.
Keitel and Abraham give performances commensurate with their experience; Jane March does a good job too. The others...well, I must say there is some poor acting in this film.
The dialogue is bad, the editing is bad, continuity is awful, and the screenplay has more than a few weak spots; this is clearly a B movie, maybe even a C movie struggling desperately to rise to a B.
Nevertheless, the storyline is plausible and appropriately frightening.
I read a review from Variety when this movie was released that called the storyline "highly improbable." I'm sure they would have said the same thing about the events of September 11, 2001. Anyone who's ever taken the Dover-Calais ferry or who's lived in Europe will take the premise of this movie seriously.
In spite of these many failings, the film makes a heraldic point, a statement about exactly what the West faces in militant Islam, based on history. This is the only film I can recall having seen that doesn't try to lay blame for today's Islamic jihad on the West's doorstep. None of the usual vacuous, politically correct blather here. He may not know how to write a good movie but the screenwriter certainly knows his Wahabi Salafists.
Because it takes such a risk, swimming against the fashion, the story (taken alone) seems brave and courageous, truthful while respectful, yet duly alarmist to a degree. Duly alarmist because the story is so eerily plausible. Again, anyone who lives in Europe and travels extensively throughout the continent like me knows it is.
Thus, I found the plot rather gripping overall, in spite of the love subplot, which I did not find plausible at all, as it asks us to accept a committed jihadist on the eve of martyrdom falling truly in love with a card-carrying infidel.
I've seen much worse movies. As an interesting contrast, compare Kingdom of Heaven, a very good film as far as entertainment and production quality go...but complete fiction and propaganda from a historical perspective.
