Verses of Love (2008)

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

why I state awful? Maybe people will said I am not Islamic or the bad Muslim. Oh yes! I am Muslim and I'm practicing sunnah and whatever in my life but this picture was very very bad! Compared to its' novel, this movie was really really make a spoil for the people who still doesn't read the novel. A bad impression I think. Just same with Indonesian typical drama on TV. Habiburrahman was so sad with this movie because he can't direct it himself.We can understand its' story but its' so boring, try to act pious but fail.Bad acting and many more bad.I'm so frustrating because it's the best novel I ever read in my life and the worst adaptation film I ever watched in my whole life!

Maybe it's just me but why can't Indonesia make better films? Pramoedya Ananta Toer was one of the greatest writers ever to grace this earth what has happened to Indonesian cinema. Saw this on a Singapore to London flight and it did make me cry much to the amusement of my Indonesian relatives who spent the whole film laughing and taking the **** out of it.Why can't Indonesia produce the quality films coming out of Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong instead of rubbish like Arisan !. Opera Jawa was a good effort but what's needed is the bravery to deal with emotions openly instead of hiding them behind tradition, culture, religion, or the life style of the rich.Islam is not the reason, many other Muslim countries have produced great cinema.

Well. I am no movie expert. But since the movie got a lot of hype, I was hoping that the movie can at least be a decent one. Another disappointment. The director wasn't able to develop each of the character fully. The main character Fahri, is like a cartoon superhero character, like spider-man or batman, that we know already exist before the movie starts. Too superficial. Each scene is cut too obviously, no flow whatsoever. The storyline is OK, but the execution needs a lot of work. To me, the best actor in the movie is the crazy person in jail with Fahri, the main character. And I think that, the title doesn't suit the movie at all. I don't see any love in it: Love of Fahri's, nor Aisyah, or Maria. And the lessons about the goodness of Islam: The lessons are good. Very practical and common sense. But the way its delivered, its too 'stiff'. Very "set-up" and forced. Doesn't go with each scene. May be they are after the PG audience.And oh.. the commercial. Product placements. Its ridiculous. And I think its not appropriate. Makes the movie really cheap. The only positive thing about the movie, is I think the soundtrack.

For a regional movie, it was OK. I would have liked it to be a little more fun and funny, but overall I think it was a watchable effort. Some parts were a bit over-acted, but it moved along quite fast.It does offer glimpses of Muslim thinking and culture (at least as practised in some parts of Egypt/Indonesia). Nevertheless, remember it's a fictional movie, guys.For those not from the Asean region - suggest you watch it with an open mind, and I'm sure you can enjoy it too....don't pre-judge based on your religious prejudices. BTW does anyone know whether the actress who plays Maria (Carissa Puteri) is a Muslim in real life?...just curious.....