I Saw A Good Movie
My Name Is Khan
I actually just finished watching it & I have to say, it's one of the best films I've ever watched. I would highly recommend it to anybody who wants to watch a movie with a good & very thought-provoking message. Just make sure you have the time. The movie is nearly three hours long.
It's basically an Indian drama film, but there is some comedy in there too. The movie will break your heart & shatter it into a million pieces as much as it will make you laugh out loud. It's not all gloom & doom despite the very touchy subject of the movie. The humor helps keeps things a little light here and there. It would be too depressing to watch otherwise.
First thing you should know is that the movie DOES go back & forth between English & Hindi (or Arabic, I have no idea what language it is, sorry!). So you might want to put on the subtitles before you start watching the film just so you always know what's going on & what's being said. It's easy to get confused if you don't know what they're saying half the time.
Now, just to give you all a little bit of insight on the movie without revealing any spoilers, it's basically about a Muslim man named Khan who is autistic (later diagnosed as having Asperger disorder). However, he is highly intelligent & does have a thirst for knowledge. One of the running gags in the movie is that due to his autism, Khan is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve & always says exactly what he thinks without any filter. Basically, he can't tell lies. He says exactly what he thinks at all times without any intention of hurting anybody's feelings, he simply just doesn't have that thing in his head that tells him not to say certain things due to his autism, which calls for a lot of awkward yet humorous situations throughout the movie that endear you to him. He's basically a grown man with the discretion of a small child. Thankfully everybody knows about his autism & tries not to take the things he says too personally. They know he can't help himself.
Another effect of his autism is that he can't stand loud noises, he dislikes being touched & he hates the color yellow but it's not really relevant to the movie's plot or anything. It's just good to know so you aren't wondering why he's reacting so strangely when forced to confront with those three things.
By the way, this guy who plays Khan deserves an Oscar more than Leonardo DiCaprio. There, I said it! When I first saw him acting, I honestly thought he was a real autistic actor who landed a row as an autistic protagonist in that movie. He was THAT good. I completely bought it.
What the movie primarily deals with is life for the Muslim people living in the United States before & after 9/11 when all Muslims, even the good, non-extremist ones who were able to live peacefully among American neighbors & co-workers for many years & who had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, suddenly became the enemy in the eyes of the public. That's where things get a little less humorous & a lot more heartbreaking & devastating. People had become very prejudiced towards Muslims when not all Muslims are bad. So the purpose of this film is basically to show a different side of the Muslims because a lot of people don't think there IS a different side. You know, the popular "all Muslims are evil & hate Americans" belief. It tries to put a distinction between what the blood-hungry Muslims believe & what the good ones believe to show that the beliefs are not the same on both sides. I have to admit, they did a pretty good job. You don't see Muslims the same way again after seeing this film. It's definitely worth giving it a chance.
I actually just finished watching it & I have to say, it's one of the best films I've ever watched. I would highly recommend it to anybody who wants to watch a movie with a good & very thought-provoking message. Just make sure you have the time. The movie is nearly three hours long.
It's basically an Indian drama film, but there is some comedy in there too. The movie will break your heart & shatter it into a million pieces as much as it will make you laugh out loud. It's not all gloom & doom despite the very touchy subject of the movie. The humor helps keeps things a little light here and there. It would be too depressing to watch otherwise.
First thing you should know is that the movie DOES go back & forth between English & Hindi (or Arabic, I have no idea what language it is, sorry!). So you might want to put on the subtitles before you start watching the film just so you always know what's going on & what's being said. It's easy to get confused if you don't know what they're saying half the time.
Now, just to give you all a little bit of insight on the movie without revealing any spoilers, it's basically about a Muslim man named Khan who is autistic (later diagnosed as having Asperger disorder). However, he is highly intelligent & does have a thirst for knowledge. One of the running gags in the movie is that due to his autism, Khan is a man who wears his heart on his sleeve & always says exactly what he thinks without any filter. Basically, he can't tell lies. He says exactly what he thinks at all times without any intention of hurting anybody's feelings, he simply just doesn't have that thing in his head that tells him not to say certain things due to his autism, which calls for a lot of awkward yet humorous situations throughout the movie that endear you to him. He's basically a grown man with the discretion of a small child. Thankfully everybody knows about his autism & tries not to take the things he says too personally. They know he can't help himself.
Another effect of his autism is that he can't stand loud noises, he dislikes being touched & he hates the color yellow but it's not really relevant to the movie's plot or anything. It's just good to know so you aren't wondering why he's reacting so strangely when forced to confront with those three things.
By the way, this guy who plays Khan deserves an Oscar more than Leonardo DiCaprio. There, I said it! When I first saw him acting, I honestly thought he was a real autistic actor who landed a row as an autistic protagonist in that movie. He was THAT good. I completely bought it.
What the movie primarily deals with is life for the Muslim people living in the United States before & after 9/11 when all Muslims, even the good, non-extremist ones who were able to live peacefully among American neighbors & co-workers for many years & who had nothing to do with the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, suddenly became the enemy in the eyes of the public. That's where things get a little less humorous & a lot more heartbreaking & devastating. People had become very prejudiced towards Muslims when not all Muslims are bad. So the purpose of this film is basically to show a different side of the Muslims because a lot of people don't think there IS a different side. You know, the popular "all Muslims are evil & hate Americans" belief. It tries to put a distinction between what the blood-hungry Muslims believe & what the good ones believe to show that the beliefs are not the same on both sides. I have to admit, they did a pretty good job. You don't see Muslims the same way again after seeing this film. It's definitely worth giving it a chance.
31-35, F
