The Reports on Sarah and Saleem(Al-Taqareer Hawl Sarah wa Saleem)

San Francisco Chronicle by

A fascinating and unsettling look at the ramifications of marital infidelity when shone through that specific geopolitical prism.

The New York Times by Ben Kenigsberg

Alayan’s light directorial touch can make the storytelling seem overly straightforward. But his tight control over the proceedings becomes clear in a closing shot that elegantly encapsulates the film’s complexities.

Slant Magazine by Diego Semerene

We never spend enough time with the characters to believe the urgency, and lushness, of their cravings.

Variety by Jay Weissberg

If at times it feels like the Alayan brothers have bitten off more than they can chew, the core of the plot, and the weighty issues raised, fortunately remain front and center.

The Hollywood Reporter by Jordan Mintzer

Muayad Alayan coaxes excellent performances out of the two leads and their supporting spouses, and even if the drama can seem heavy-handed in a few places, it remains quite believable throughout.

Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan

The Reports on Sarah and Saleem snaps, crackles and pops. A taut and compelling Jerusalem-set melodrama, it effectively intertwines the personal with the political in a way that is only enhanced by that city’s fraught atmosphere and cultural dynamics.

Arizona Republic by Kerry Lengel

The power dynamics between two peoples locked in “asymmetrical conflict” — not to mention two sets of gender codes — set the stage for Alayan’s thriller. In storytelling terms, they are the rules by which the tightly wound plot unspools. But the film’s great strength, in addition to the usual quality-control things, is its care to humanize, not demonize, the characters who are playing by those rules.

Screen Daily by Wendy Ide

Unshowy camerawork and an understated score both place the emphasis on the largely impressive and naturalistic performances.