Conflict. Conflict is the word that is most vividly imprinted in the mind after viewing this picture. I’m a huge fan of M. Night Shyamalan, and I’ve been looking for this movie for a long time. When I finally found him, I was not disappointed. As Sidney Lumet said: The first film is an excuse because it’s the first film, so I didn’t expect anything special from Furious Prayer, and I wanted to see it purely to study the work of my favorite director. I was very surprised when before my eyes appeared a film superior in quality Girl of Water and Lord of the Elements. I'm sure many people won't understand my admiration for this work, but I'm very close to the topics covered in it. Basically, this is a film about the clash of two cultures, with all the attributes included in this concept: traditions, mentality, behavior, relationships, religions. And this topic is little, where touched. That is the whole value of the film. It's like finding a friend who's been through something no one you know has gone through. How to find someone who understands you.
But that’s not the only thing a movie can shine with, it’s very well staged (especially for independent cinema), well written, well played, and the soundtrack is great. The film also touches on the themes that became the basis for Shyamalan’s subsequent works. For example, ghosts in the well-known Sixth Sense or the question faith, which to some extent can be traced in all Knight's paintings, but is especially prominent in Signs with Mal Gibson. But despite this, the film is very, very realistic and has no elements of a thriller. I would even call this movie a family movie. Despite the fact that the genre of the film indicates drama, there are a lot of funny humorous scenes.
In general, this is an interesting independent picture that can be recommended to people who have fallen in love with Shyamalan’s Awakening and even, probably, fans of Soviet everyday dramas and comedies.
9 out of 10
P.S. The ending impressed me with its ambiguity.