Exciting, Compelling, Impassioned
Year Released: 2020
Written and Directed by: Cyrus Nowrasteh
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Claudia Karvan, Hal Ozsan
(R, 108 min.)
Genre: Action and Adventure, Thriller

“It is clear. You are an American spy.” –Iranian official

Don’t miss Jim Caviezel’s compelling thriller, which displays the courage and conviction of the actor as well as the Christian blogger he portrays on film. Written, directed, and produced by Iranian-American filmmaker Cyrus Nowrasteh, it is based on real life Robert Levinson and a composite of several other innocents who died in the Middle East.

Here is a wonderful interview where Caviezel talks with his director about their collaboration:

Some of you may remember The Stoning of Soraya M , where Caviezel and Nowrasteh also collaborated. Like Infidel, it was also shot in Jordan. Different Drummer remarked about that 2009 film then:

On its face value, the story is not an uncommon one. Ali (Navid Negahban) wishes to divorce his middle-aged wife, the mother of his four children, to marry a younger woman. A thousand times this story is played out around the world. Yet the deeply rooted misogyny of this culture allows for a few variations on the theme.

And who can forget Caviezel’s excruciating performance in The Passion of the Christ, where the 33 year old Caviezel, the same age as Jesus at the time of his crucifixion, underwent several unpredicted agonies himself. He was struck by lightning in one of the scenes and had to undergo two heart surgeries as a result, but that and a resistant Hollywood, who more or less blackballed him after that performance, did not deter Jim.

Here is an impassioned interview where Caviezel talks about his faith:

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"You may judge a…civilization from the way they treat their women." Thomas Babington Macaulay

In both these earlier films, as well as Infidel, women are given powerful and prominent roles. Also Mel Gibson, a fellow Hollywood pariah, was never given credit for that in The Passion of the Christ, where both Marys, Christ's mother and Magdalene, have central roles, even above those of Christ’s disciples.

The rescuing hero in Infidel is Elizabeth Rawlin (a radiant Claudia Kavan), who travels to Iran to bring back her husband.

Even when all seems lost, and he cautions her to return to America for her own safety, she will not abandon him

“I didn’t come here to watch you die,” she tells him.

And with that role screenwriter Cyrus Nowrasteh introduces effective dissonance. Elizabeth has lost her faith after a car crash caused her to lose their child. She pleas with Doug (Jim Caviezel) to forgo the Cairo interfaith presentation he has been invited to attend after the friend and coworker who suggested he go turns out to be an secret Iranian terrorist recruiter.

At least “don’t preach to them,” she says as he departs, a suggestion he should have taken to heart, and one that makes him a target.

However, the filmmakers do follow Elizabeth’s admonition as they introduce characters that defy expectations.

Two Muslim guards assist the secret Iranian Christian group that works toward Jim’s release from that country’s notorious Evin Prison.

And the lead captor, Ramzi (Hal Ozsan), defies stereotype as well:

His British accent destabilizes him from a specific region, and he tells Doug of his radicalization due to the brutal treatment he received in the United States. But Ramzi is no sneering stereotypical "Middle Eastern" villain. He comes from a very authentic place of anger and grievance, and isn't particularly devout. Religion doesn't come into his reasoning at all. He's a practical man of the world. It's a nice touch. He's not drawn in broad brush strokes. Like everyone in "Infidel," he is human-sized. Sheila O”Malley

Several scenes between Doug and Ramzi remind this NCIS super fan of “Truth or Consequences,” a favorite episode (S7E1) where Ziva is imprisoned by an Al Quaida terrorist who has been educated at Yale.

At one point Ramzi tells Doug, “You are in the middle of nowhere. No one knows where you are.” In the NCIS episode Dinozzo and McGee find themselves is a seeming same situation.

Though Doug Rawlin’s captivity is nothing like Christ’s torment, torture, and death portrayed in The Passion of the Christ, Doug does undergo some Christ-like doubts. Looking at the distant stars through the small barred window of his cell, Doug, like his wife, suffers doubts of the “Father why hast thou forsaken me?” kind.

Yet as his body is battered, his spirit grows.

He realizes that his proselytizing in Egypt , where he called on Muslims to accept Christ as their savior, was more an act of hubris than faith.

Do not miss the final heart pounding moments, in themselves worth the price of admission as well as a trip back to the theaters. Masks on, Different Drummer and her husband ventured back to the metroplex for the first time in months to see Infidel on the big screen when it was released, but now it is avaible for streaming on multiple platforms.

Do not put Infidel in the stereotypical lockbox of a “Christian” film, or because Dinesh D’Souza is one of several producers, think it purely political. The production values, writing, and acting are all top notch. And the message of faith and love is exquisite.

Must see for discriminating filmgoers.

–Kathy Borich
🥁🥁🥁🥁

Trailer

Film-Loving Foodie

Before he goes off to Cairo for the interfaith conference, Doug and Elizabeth Rawlins attend the graduation party for a friend and coworker’s daughter in Virginia. The buffet is filled with delicious Persian dishes.

However, all is not well. A brash American is one of the guests, an unwelcome suitor who turns off the traditional music and replaces it with loud and blaring rock. Then he takes the young graduate to the floor for a flamboyant dance that angers her father. Adding insult to injury, the daughter and most of the other guests are overjoyed with their seductive display.

With this dance a series of dominoes begin to fall with disastrous complications.

But let us forget all those ominous clouds and enjoy the feast. You will love these delicious Persian Wedding Kabobs.

Persian Wedding Kabobs

Ingredients

· 1 ½ pounds ground beef (80-85% lean)

· 1 pound ground lamb (80-85% lean)

· 1 ½ medium yellow onions, quartered

· 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

· 1 egg

· 1 tsp salt

· 1 tsp sumac (sold at the Middle Eastern markets)

· ½ tsp ground black pepper

· ½ tsp turmeric powder

· ¼ cup butter, melted (for brushing over the kabobs after grilling)

· FOR THE GRILLED VEGETABLES

· 4 ripe but firm Roma tomatoes

· 1 large green bell pepper, stem removed, deseeded and quartered

· Olive oil to brush the vegetables with before grilling

Directions

1. You will need ten 1-inch metal skewers.

2. For best results the meat should be fresh (not previously frozen) and at room temperature.

3. Finely chop the onion pieces in a food processor until very juicy. Place a fine metal mesh over a bowl and strain the processed onion by pressing it with a spatula. Discard the juice.

4. Add the remaining onion pulp to a medium bowl.

5. Add the ground beef and lamb, minced garlic, salt, spices and egg to the bowl. Knead all of the ingredients for several minutes until the mixture is paste like and sticks together without falling apart.

6. Fill up a small bowl with tap water, this is for wetting your fingers so the meat does not stick to them when you are making the kabobs.

7. Divide the meat into 10 equal balls.

8. Get one of the balls of meat in the palm of your hand, place the skewer on top of it and squeeze the meat around the skewer. Once you make sure that meat is not going to fall off, start squeezing it from top to bottom and cover the middle section of the skewer. Leave the top and bottom of the skewer clear. Wet your fingers with the tap water and keep squeezing and spreading the meat evenly around the skewer. The meat should be about ½ inch thick all around the skewer.

9. Set the skewer gently on a shallow baking sheet with sides, so the meat does not touch the floor of the baking sheet. Continue making the rest of the kabobs. At this point the uncooked kabobs can sit over the counter while you get the grill ready.

10. To Grill Kabob Koobideh: You will need two square metal pipes that you will place parallel to each other on top and bottom of the cooking grate of your grill lengthwise. The top pipe is for placing the tip of the skewers and the bottom one is for the handles. This is so the skewers are raised and the meat does not touch the hot grate, otherwise it will stick and fall right off.

11. The coals are ready when they are gray and covered with ash.

12. If you’re grilling vegetables it is always better to skewer them separate from the kabobs. I use thinner skewers for the vegetables because if the skewers are too wide the turgid vegetables such as green peppers will tear and fall apart.

13. The vegetables take longer to grill than the meat, so if the space is limited, grill the vegetables first and keep them warm under an aluminum foil. If there is enough grilling surface start grilling the veggies first and halfway through grilling, start the kabobs.

14. Place as many kabob skewers as you can fit on the grill, leave some space between them. As soon as you are done arranging all the skewers, start turning the first skewer and keep turning the rest in the order that you have placed them on the grill. The reason for this quick turning is to cook both sides of the kabobs for a short time so the meat cooks and firms up all around and does not fall off the skewer. Do not overcook the kabobs because they are thin and tend to dry out. Turn the kabobs again until you get the doneness you desire. The kabobs should have a nice grilled color on the outside and no longer pink inside, but still very juicy.

15. When the kabobs are ready, remove them from the heat and into a container lined with a large aluminum foil. Keep the kabobs covered with the foil until ready to serve.

16. To serve, use a piece of flat bread (Sangak, soft lavash, or pita bread) larger than the palm of your hand. Start at the end with handle, grab the kabob and slide it off the skewer onto the serving platter. This is the easiest and safest way to pull the kabobs off the skewer. The flavorful kabob juices make the bread so delicious that everyone will want a piece.

17. Brush melted butter over the kabobs.

18. Enjoy Kabob Koobideh with Persian rice that has been tossed with cubed softened butter and a sprinkle of sumac. Serve it with a side of grilled vegetables, a slice of raw red or white onion and Sabzi Khordan (fresh herbs). The drink of choice is usually Doogh (Persian yogurt drink)

19. This kabob is equally delicious served with grilled vegetables over Sangak or Lavash, which are both Persian flat breads.

Persian Mama.com