As Izzat, a somewhat predecessor to Haram, is one of my favorite films of all time, I was very excited about this film. Parts of the Izzat cast can be seen in Haram. The overall feeling of the film, however, is a little different. Where Izzat was all about a group of Pakistanis becoming Oslos most infamous gangsters, Haram is not so much about gangsters as it is about Pakistani culture. Izzat - honor - is indeed what the film is about, and when the younger sister disconnects from the family, that is as Haram - not allowed - as it gets.
Being very interested in the integration of Pakistanis in Norway, I was glued to the screen from the very first second. This film is all about the Pakistani (conservative) culture in a Norwegian setting, and it gives a really nice inside-view of it all. It is a nice thriller with extensive use of jump cuts, without being too much. The film was at times very funny and overall beautifully filmed. The music was cool, and put to well use, without taking over the film.
Throughout the whole film I was waiting for the big gangster climax. It never came. This is more of a serious film than Izzat was, and it's more like a drama in a thriller setting. The acting was good, though not great. I have quite good knowledge about the Pakistani culture in Oslo, since most of my close friends I grew up with were Norwegian-Pakistanis. The parents were really good actors, and the film portraits the family environment very nicely. Elias Ali, too, were quite good, and portraits the mix between Norwegian and Pakistani in a exquisite matter. Good acting from Katharina Gjesdal. Sohail Anwar is truly amazing. I am a fan of Abubakar Hussein, but unfortunately he was really not any good in this role. He did not appear authentic in his gangster role.
Overall an interesting film, nice thriller, but not very much more. For the younger audience expecting a bona fide gangster film, it may be disappointing. For the more grown-up audience, this is a really nice drama description of Pakistanis in Norway, though maybe a bit exaggerated (this was indeed the director's point). The film is maybe more of a 6/10 than 7/10 if one is very critial (7/10 is a really good score), but as a huge fan of Rolfsen, I am leaning towards a 7/10. Well worth watching!
