The Taqwacores is, at heart, a fairly typical indie ensemble piece, but with enough new wrinkles to earn it a thumbs-up from yours truly. Based on Michael Muhammad Knight's novel of the same name, it's the story of a group of Buffalo-based Muslim punk rockers rebelling against the strictures of their religion. (There really is a Muslim punk scene, but the bands in the film — Osama's Tunnel Diggers, Bilal's Boulder, and Boxcutter Surprise — are fictional).
The film is crudely made, the screenplay a tad stodgy and predictable, and there's not enough music, but the characters — including Rabeya (Noureen DeWulf), the burka-clad 'riot girl' who crosses out the bits of the Qu'ran that she finds misogynistic, and wide-eyed innocent Yusuf (Bobby Naderi), who stumbles into the scene while apartment-hunting — are endearing enough to keep you watching.
The film is crudely made, the screenplay a tad stodgy and predictable, and there's not enough music, but the characters — including Rabeya (Noureen DeWulf), the burka-clad 'riot girl' who crosses out the bits of the Qu'ran that she finds misogynistic, and wide-eyed innocent Yusuf (Bobby Naderi), who stumbles into the scene while apartment-hunting — are endearing enough to keep you watching.