Afghan Star is not bland, ephemeral stuffing. This is vital. This is controversy, the front-line of cultural progress and taboo testing.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 7, 2024

It's absolutely fascinating to see such a familiar talent show format - complete with sharp-tongued judges and starry-eyed wannabees - in such a vastly different setting.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 31, 2019

So much more than a reality show, it is a microcosm of the birth of a new democracy, of a free people facing the dawn of a new day.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 5, 2019

While its style and structure conform to the well-worn template established by docs like Spellbound, its success lies in creating an accessible, fun way into serious issues.

Full Review | Nov 17, 2011

Timely and intriguing docu was the winner of the Directing and Audience Awards at the Sundance Film Fest.

| Original Score: B | Jun 22, 2011

For all the dramatic pull of the competition and insight into current culture and politics in Afghanistan, it's a bit of a shame that the film itself is such a dry affair.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Jun 13, 2010

... more than a popular phenomenon, this documentary shows how a simple, completely apolitical piece of entertainment crosses ethnic, regional and cultural borders...

| Apr 11, 2010

For once, the McDonald's-like spreading of American culture abroad seems to have actually been a good thing.

| Mar 18, 2010

The film is both optimistic and depressing. This film is about a real war with real deaths that is going on in Afghanistan and one of the battlefields of that war is a pop music contest on television.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Mar 16, 2010

Afghan Star is an engaging and important film and what it lacks in depth, it makes up for in cultural impact. Worth seeing.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 14, 2010

An inspiring, fun documentary.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 15, 2009

One of the more surreal docs to come down the pike in some time.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 16, 2009

Afghanistan's version of American Idol shines a spotlight on a culture in transition. Fascinating -- especially when it comes to the experiences of the woman who's risking her reputation and social standing in order to sing.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 6, 2009

It's an upbeat film, though hardly a convincing one, that shows there's more to the popular 온라인카지노추천 show than entertainment.

| Original Score: B- | Sep 30, 2009

The filmmaking itself is pretty much by the numbers...But there's some genuine tension as the competition field narrows.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 24, 2009

The film's essential fascination and integrity swamp any qualms about its pacing or all-around moviemaking.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 18, 2009

...by the end of the 88 minute journey you'll learn more about contemporary Afghanistan than you will from a month of watching television news in the United States.

| Original Score: 7/10 | Sep 18, 2009

Of all the films to come out of the conflict, Afghan Star is the most provocative, because its message that people are essentially the same is a dubious, double-edge sword.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 17, 2009

Marking has a good eye for capturing the contradictions of Afghanistan.

| Original Score: 6/10 | Sep 5, 2009

It's hard not to look at the effect this program is having on the country and not come away thinking military might isn't the solution a lot of those in power would like us to believe it is.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 4, 2009