In the Name of God (2007)

Very well executed

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

We have all seen and heard about the dilemma- is music allowed in Islam or not? Khuda kay Liye has the same as a major plot point but delivers nothing new to the pro-music league of arguments. The fact that Prophet Dawood (pbuh) had "mousiki" is open to a two-forked interpretation- that he had only the singing gift and not music, so music might be still banned in Islam; and that he actually had the combined talent of both and music is permitted in Islam. More research and better proof are still required to resolve these arguments- and both can hardly be provided by means of commercial cinema. The musical score is the best I have heard in a long long time. Bandeya Ho and Allah Hoo give such a tug to your heart that you cannot help being mesmerized into a trance like state, while listening to them. Execution is sloppy in most parts but outstandingly brilliant in some. Especially the accent and "talaffus" of some actors is nothing sort of marvelous- worthy of note are the actors who played Moulana Tahiri and Mansoor's Father. But with these, the movie has its fair share of horrible acting performed by the characters Mary, her father and Mansoor. Mary is always toggling between her true native accent and the fake British one; which is kind of slightly amusing after a while into the movie. Her father, the loathsome characterization notwithstanding, makes you wish to hit him with a brick. And who ever says the actor who played Mansoor did well deserves a mental checkup. You just have to note the extreme weight issues, a single expression on his face, and the use of "You see...." again and again and again while talking in English with his girlfriend; to state that his acting was nauseating, at the least. Naseeruddin Shah did a fine job with his cameo, though his speech did seem to be kind of extempore, to me. The FBI Agent did a fine job too! Editing the movie removing the badly acted segments could have made it crisper and a better movie overall.

I watched this movie for the sake of the fact that ShoMan directed this movie the director of Sonhere din, the best TV serial after Tanhiyaan, and i was not disappointed. Shaan is absolutely awesome with his acting skills which was given life by ShoMan i would recommend to him if he reads this,please get out of the Syed Noor world of Punjabi films because Punjabi Pakistani films are dead when we lost Sultan Rahi and enter this world of ShoMan because he has earned a lot of respect by this movie. Iman Ali and others were a great touch to this movie, they match to the theme of the plot and movie set-up. Still there is lot of work to be done in Pakistani movies but this is just the beginning. i believe we have not seen the last of ShoMan.

Muslims did not hate USA. Awesome Movie for Muslims and Non Muslims. Before watching this movie I thought its boring movie. But I was wrong because there is a lesson for Muslims and Non Muslims. Every Muslim is not a terrorist. People make the terrorist just like American govt. They catch the wrong people and beat them. Even that every citizen of America says that this is ridiculous. Muslims did not hate USA. Islam protects us to the evil. Every man has its own rights in any religion. Shan and other actors did work well. This film is not against American people but against American government policy and injustice. I am thankful to Shoaib Mansoor who took this great idea for Muslims and Non Muslims.

I don't know how this movie got the overall 8.7 it currently does. If you compare it to the mindless stuff that Pakistani cinema churns out, the rating is justified because this movie really is poles apart, but if your average basket of movies contains some Hollywood flicks, then we really need to be knocking it a couple of points down.Having said that, it is only fair to note that the movie seems to have been intended for a Pakistani audience as it addresses sensitive internal, social issues of its time which makes it far more relevant and interesting to Pakistanis than it would to foreigners (especially the growing importance religious fundamentalism and liberalism in society, and the association of Pakistanis with terrorism in the West). The best thing about it is that it handles these sensitive issues well. The dialogue is scrupulously selected and delicately handled, and this alone is merit-worthy.Shan's acting is pretty good and the movie has provided him a platform to demonstrate that he does possess acting talent. Naseeruddin Shah is a fine, seasoned actor and his performance is the very least that could be expected of him.The biggest let-down in this film has to be Iman Ali's acting. She is a professional model with no acting experience or ability... What was the director thinking, casting her as the female lead? Her attempt at a British accent is awfully removed from British - it's painful to place and is so bad that it becomes a very irritating distraction, even an obstacle for the viewer. Even without the interference of the accent her acting is amateur and mediocre.Rasheed Naz as the fundamentalist cleric was not bad, if a little over-done; Fawad Khan as his protégé was at best average and forgettable.Angela Williams seems as though she paid to get the part... a case of shoddy acting which would give amateur a bad name. The other actors fade into the background for their forgettable performances.All-in-all, worth watching if you are Pakistani - this movie is several cuts above the rest of Pakistani cinema and offers a ray of hope to budding cinema talent - probably not as interesting if you don't empathise with Pakistani social issues and have never been subjected to the rest of what Pakistani cinema has on offer.