What to Watch: An Honorable Woman

An Honorable Woman kept popping up in my "recommended for Kaitlin" on Netflix. I haven't always loved Maggie Gyllenhall's movies (I think she might be a even more indie than I am), but after seeing her great acceptance speech at the Emmy's I kept thinking, I have to give this a try.

At the most basic level, it's about Nessa Stein, an Israeli / British woman who is using her inheritance to try and bring a sort of peace between Israel and Palestine. It's in some ways an uncomplicated plot (mystery, a bit of a whodunit), but in some ways, it's intensely complicated and I wasn't always sure I knew what was going on. It's violent, political, and intricate. The acting is really, really good. Netflix knew what they were doing when they recommended it to me. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes Homeland--strong, flawed women in the lead characters, smart plots, intrigue, power... similar underpinnings.


I think I know enough about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict to get myself in trouble, but this movie really opened my eyes. I've read articles about the conflict, I know some of the things that have happened during it's history, I know how Israel was created, I feel for Palestinians who want their own country, too. It's such a complicated situation with no clear right answer. This show really embodies that conflict and strife, struggle, and humanity.

Here's a great review NPR did on the show.

I have 0 idea what season #2 will be about, but man, I cannot wait for it (and might need to watch this again so I make sure I didn't miss anything important).