Day Night Day Night

  • Review Date: September 30, 2007
  • NR
  • Genre: Drama
  • 2007
Review

Common Sense Media says

Suicide bomber drama doesn't offer easy answers.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this intense film about a 19-year-old suicide bomber isn't for kids. The unnamed protagonist is convinced that blowing herself up with a backpack bomb in Times Square is the right thing to do, but since the movie doesn't go into her motivation or background, it's hard to know just what to think of her -- and that ambivalence could be hard for teens to process. There are several tense moments as she nears the end of her mission.

  • Positive messages0
    The protagonist plans to be a suicide bomber in Times Square; her handlers are stoic and gruff; New Yorkers who see her fall down are friendly.
  • Violence3
    No visible violence, but the threat is pervasive, as the protagonist spends the entire movie preparing to explode a backpack bomb in Times Square. The film begins with the protagonist listing the many ways people can die.
  • Sex0
    Protagonist appears in shower (close ups of her body parts, but nothing explicit). A young man approaches the protagonist for a couple of minutes near the end, trying to arouse her interest by showing his abs.
  • Language3
    Repeated uses of "s--t" near the end of the film.
  • Consumerism3
    Times Square advertising and T-shirts: Duane Reade, Swatch, Old Navy, Coca Cola, Gap, Starbucks, Planters peanuts, McDonald's, Ecko.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
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What's the story?

DAY NIGHT DAY NIGHT follows a 19-year-old unnamed protagonist (Luisa Williams) as she prepares to carry a backpack into Times Square and blow herself up in a crowd. The character isn't placed in any context, she's simply picked up by a driver, fed a dinner of Chinese noodles, deposited in a motel room, and instructed not to open the curtain or show her face at the window. Almost painfully polite, the girl shows an intense focus on her task: She memorizes her new identity, practices pushing the detonator button, and repeats her instructions in careful monotone. The next morning, the leaders of the plot outfit her in a pale blue track jacket and suggest that she film a "martyr's video." Then they fill her yellow backpack with explosives and nails and send her on to Port Authority.

Is it any good?

 

The camera stays close on the girl's face throughout the film, but the focus becomes most intense when she's cast among the crowd on the sidewalk: Here, the noise of traffic, conversations, and even music from passing cars becomes almost overwhelming.

Viewers learn that she has a little brother and parents, but she remains isolated and waiflike -- even as her determination and ingenuity are combined with an appealing clumsiness and confusion. She's sure and not sure, transparent and unreadable. She's not demonized, but it's also hard to understand what she's doing. Quite brilliantly, the movie never explains her or makes her strange in order to ease viewers' mind. Rather, it makes you nervous both for and about her.

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What families can talk about

Families can talk about how the movie handles its protagonist's plan. Why do you think the filmmakers chose not to include her motives, her background, or even where she's from? What messages does that send about both people's ability to identify terrorists and the reasons people have for committing these acts in the first place? What do you think of her? Why do you feel that way? Was it because of what you saw in the movie or because of ideas and feelings you had before?

This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs

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This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
Studio:IFC Entertainment
Director:Julia Loktev
Cast:Gareth Saxe, Josh Phillip Weinstein, Louisa Williams
Genre:Drama
Run time:94 minutes
Theatrical release date:May 9, 2007
DVD release date:October 2, 2007
MPAA rating:NR
MPAA explanation:not rated
This review was written by Cynthia Fuchs
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.
Our child development rating guidelines

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