Dubai

Author(s): Maia
Location: LA

"Dubai"

Written and Directed by Michael Winterbottom

Main Cast
Gerard Butler as Trevor Bartley
Alan Rickman as Emmanuel Norton
Cameron Diaz as Amanda Matheson
Ashraf Barhom as Hiram Merinak
Bar Refaeli as Fatima Merinak
Jason Isaacs as Armand Matheson
Emily Mortimer as Charlotte
Oded Fehr as Emre Sham

Tagline: "Welcome to Paradise (Right of Admission Reserved)"

Synopsis: A study into the effects of global commerce on human and labor rights in one of the most contrasting cities in the world: Dubai; during the days leading to the inaugural ceremony of an exclusive resort:Everything bright and charming architect TREVOR BARTLEY (Butler) wanted since joining the Development Department of Golden Crown Resorts was to become supervisor of one of the company’s top projects. His dream came true when he was made responsible of the construction of The Rajah Resort in Dubai: a grand-luxury hotel that would become the most important for the company on the Middle East. Unfortunately, after eight months of exhaustive work and unsuccessful negotiations with Dubai’s corrupt authorities and cheap but lazy labor force; most of Bartley’s early enthusiasm turned into scorn. Not even the company of many local girls and the wife of a prominent executive could keep him thrilled anymore and now; a week before the hotel’s opening ceremony; can Bartley deal with the pressure of his snotty supervisors, a fraudulent inspector and the unhappy workforce?Bureaucratic construction inspector EMRE SHAM (Fehr) knows two ways to make a living: the traditional and the fast one. Known for his unpredictable temper and his disdain for foreigners; Sham had become a nightmare for a vast number of corporate architects and engineers during their stay in Dubai. When he met enthusiastic but inexperienced Trevor Bartley, Sham spotted a new source of additional profit. However, after months of extortion; something out of Bartley’s reach made things personal…For manipulative trophy-wife AMANDA MATHESON (Diaz), life in the paradisiacal Dubai was no longer exciting after four years. Her husband Armand (CEO of a prominent oil company based on the emirate) barely paid any attention to her and, after having done everything and being everywhere you can be on Dubai; Amanda realized she hadn’t done everyone yet when Trevor Bartley joined her elitist social circle. Their affair was a so-called secret within their community and sadly for Amanda, so was Bartley’s other woman...
FATIMA (Refaeli) was a dollar-seeking escort well connected with Dubai’s rich and powerful but when she met handsome Trevor Bartley, she fell in love. She couldn’t tell if he felt the same away about her but moving to his luxurious condo had been enough for her to leave her other clients; including detestable public servant Emre Sham.Humble construction worker HIRAM MERINAK (Barhom) was lucky to get any job these days. At age 40 and with heavy competition from younger and cheaper workers; a man like him was no longer valuable for Dubai’s society. He had to provide for his family, including his “college student” niece Fatima, so when the construction of the Rajah called for additional workforce due to unexpected delays; he was happy to do it for less than the minimum weight. Snobbish, upper-level auditor for Golden Crown EMMANUEL NORTON (Rickman) loved Dubai but hated its people (in his own words, after a one-month stay). Yet, he managed to act kindly to everyone but co-worker Trevor Bartley and his own assistant, the hypochondriac Charlotte (Emily Mortimer). The Bartley-Norton relationship had always been tough and their continuous critics were not limited to each other’s professional skills. Just days before the grand opening of the Rajah, Norton has found many of the final details are behind schedule and to make things worst; a local bureaucrat is threatening to close the hotel for no apparent reason. Norton and Bartley are now forced to work together to achieve the same goal…Will Bartley and Norton triumph over the vengeful Sham? Will Hiram discover Fatima’s extracurricular activities? Will Amanda find a new hobby before her husband finds about them? And most importantly, Will The Rajah open on time, or not?

What the Press would say:
English filmmaker Michael Winterbottom is known for his stylish direction and his ability to bring the best out of his ensembles. On his latest film, the very mature and incisive Dubai, Winterbottom’s trademarks are supported by the emirate’s gorgeous locations.In Winterbottom’s Dubai, there are the wealthy and the hopeful; the loyal and the deceiving, the powerful and the beautiful… Worlds and classes collide, willingly or not, but the director understands that the best way to inject his message to this story is by turning his characters into living morals instead of portraying them as stereotypes from Screenwriting 101. There are no perfect individuals in Dubai but the film still manages to be highly sensitive. The womanizing Trevor Bartley, played energetically by Gerard Butler, is a bright but unmotivated man who has lost his way. Butler prints very subtle hints of kindness and insecurity into his character’s (apparent) rock-hard persona and the result is a very magnetic and enticing performance that audiences can feel for.Cameron Diaz is also vibrant as the calculating Amanda. Diaz has certainly played similar characters before but here, the actress is able to spot a key twist on her vixen’s psyche: she is genuinely lonely. Amanda is a woman who gets what she wants but hardly what she needs and Diaz gets what the viewers need to see of the real Amanda to understand her. Supermodel Bar Refaeli is a revelation as the ambitious Fatima, a social climber on the wrong steps, a beautiful woman used to play with people but not to be played with. Refaeli takes many risks by the hand of Winterbottom and she ends up baring her soul (and more) in a career-making performance.Character actor Alan Rickman finds the perfect role to separate from his Harry Potter image in Emmanuel Norton: a neurotic, hypocrite and xenophobic snot forced to save the day. Rickman puts fierce determination on making his character an annoying but still likeable prick. Expect AMPAS to take notice of this versatile tour-de-force. Persian actor Ashraf Barhom made a lasting impression as an Iranian officer in The Kingdom last month and he’s now back with another moving and communicative performance. Barhom conveys clear emotions on each of his scenes, especially those where he has found about his niece’s secret life. Finally, Oded Fehr (of Sleeper Cell’s fame) is terrific as the egotistical, vulgar bureaucrat who won’t stop till he gets his honor restored. It’s a meaty role with lots of dramatic scenes and comedic quips and the actor’s clever delivery is essential for his character to leave a lasting impression on the viewers.Overall: Dubai is vigorous, witty and critical but at the core, it is a very commanding drama with lots of points perfectly made. Writer/Director Winterbottom delivers a well-conceived story that shows how in today’s economy, corporations are the ones getting global while individuals, us, remain on our own…Consider Dubai for the following awards:

Best Picture (Drama)
Best Ensemble (SAG)
Best Director –Winterbottom
Best Actor – Butler
Best Actress – Diaz
Best Supporting Actor – Rickman / Fehr / Barhom
Best Supporting Actress - Refaeli
Best Original Screenplay
Creativity Awards (Original Bait/Original Character/Cast/Tagline)