Directed by the twin duo of Tarzan and Arab Nasser, “Once Upon a Time in Gaza” is about a collaboration of a different sort: a small-time drug scheme concocted by timid university student Yahya (Nader Abd Alhay) and burly restaurant owner Osama (Majd Eid). Although set in 2007, the well-meaning, tongue-in-cheek drama has a penchant for connecting its setting to the contemporary political zeitgeist, which it vocalizes loudly and overtly. However, its self-reflexive, bifurcated story — about using cinematic images to create a revolution — ends up ironically flaccid.
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Captured with careful compositional intent, the movie’s first half sees Osama, the brains
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