Inshallah a Boy – Review
In what may feel like a slightly familiar underdog story, a woman, who has recently been widowed, has to fight for what’s left from her marriage to secure her comforts and future.
[Unless Said Otherwise] Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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General Information
| Director(s) | Amjad Al Rasheed |
| Screenplay By | Delphine Agut
Rula Nasser |
| Based On Original Story By | Amjad Al Rasheed |
| Date Released (Film Festival – Montclair Film Festival) | October 26, 2023 |
| Genre(s) | Drama
Non-English (Arabic) |
| Film Length | 1 Hour 53 Minutes |
| Content Rating | Not Rated |
| Noted Characters and Cast | |
| Nawal | Mouna Hawa |
| Rifqi | Hitham Omari |
Content Rating Explanation
“Inshallah a Boy” contains:
- Dialog: Minor Cursing
- Violence: Implied violence
- Sexual Content: None
- Miscellaneous: Nothing notable
Film Summary
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Unfortunately for Nawal, the death of her husband comes suddenly, and based on Jordanian Law, she doesn’t inherit everything. Instead, she shares the inheritance between her and her brother-in-law Rifqi. Now, it would be fine if Nawal’s husband left any sort of money, but he didn’t. He was in debt to his brother, wasn’t working, and because Nawal invested everything of value she had into the success of their marriage, including a down payment for their home, she isn’t well off. Add in having to take care of a kid and pay a babysitter so she can go to work, and she was barely making ends meet.
So, for her brother-in-law to threaten her family’s car, home, and custody of her daughter? It leads her to the kind of desperation that, even if something is a sin or flirts with potentially being sinful, she may do it to keep all she has worked for and invested in.
Character Descriptions
Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.
Nawal
A home health aide by trade, Nawal had a rather simple life previously. Yes, she and her husband didn’t have the most romantic relationship, but they were a family, invested in making that family whole, and with his death, she felt the effects of losing her other half, as half of what he owned was given to his brother and other siblings, and Nawal was forced to go from demure to a fighter.
Rifqi
The leading voice of Nawal’s husband’s siblings, Rifqi is all about the money his brother owed, and it appears that, for that money, he will take anything Nawal has to get her to submit, including his niece.
Review
Our Rating: Positive (Worth Seeing)
Highlights
A Great Underdog Story
With the film being based in Jordan, naturally, the scales are tipped in favor of men. This isn’t to say Nawal is presented with no rights, but from the start, when it becomes clear if she had a son and not a daughter, she wouldn’t have as much trouble with Rifqi, you know she has an uphill battle before her.
But that is what makes things interesting. It isn’t just Rifqi or society that Nawal is up against, but also her own brother, who grows tired of Rifqi thinking he can control his sister. And to see her fight multiple fronts as life continues to hit her in places when she isn’t looking, it reminds you of the strength and resilience of women, especially women from the Middle East.
To love your faith and find community and guidance, yet have to deal with a society who bends it to their interpretation and use? You can see the conflict and how this makes the constant challenges Nawal faces, which can be seen as a test of faith, heartening. Ultimately making it so the nearly 2 hour film flies by for between taking on Nawal’s frustrations and investing heavily in any and all moves she comes up with, you are fully engaged.
Who Is This For?
Those who want to see a strong single mother face a patriarchal system and maybe not win the war, but certainly a string of battles.
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