I saw coming attractions for this film when I watched
Hedgehog, and took it out. I did not know quite what to expect, and I was impressed by the film. It's a
great little story: a janitor in
Queen Alia International Airport in
Amman finds a captain's hat, takes it home, is seen wearing it by a kid who, in turn, asks him to tell him stories about his travels; at first he refuses, but is worn down by a gaggle of kids who insist on hearing his stories; he fabricates them from pieces of knowledge he has, and in the process fascinates them and himself; one other kid, Murad, is a skeptic, and deliberately breaks the spell the Captain has woven by showing three of his admirers that he is not an airliner pilot but a janitor; that boy is abused by his drunken father, who also physically abuses his wife; the Captain liberates the family form the drunkard's abuse with the help of Nour, a thirtyish female pilot who is being pressured by her father to marry, who befriends him, and, in turn, looks to him for company and guidance.
One technique that I liked was that, in scenes that build to an apotheosis, the actual act is not shown, but implied. Such a scene is when the drunkard father is going to teach his son Murad a lesson by burning his hand, the actual burning is not shown; the scene builds up with such tension that it is unnecessary to show the act itself. Hollywood does not do that; it would have shown the burning in excruciating detail.
Excellent film.
