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I like the development in Malika's character and her determination. She learned English, set herself free, and traveled. She realized who she is and what she wants from life. Then she managed to untie herself from Elias and her old self, too.

What do you think of her? Were you pleased with what happened between her and Elias during the concert at the end?

It made me sad that they didn't end up together. She freed herself, but she had been tied down for so long that it has left permanent scars. She became someone else entirely and she lost what Elias had loved so much about her. She had lost some amount of joy for living. I don't know if she will be happier with or without Elias. I really didn't like what had happened at the end with them. I was hoping he would accept the new Malika and love her just as much as he loved the old Malika. It just made me so sad!!!

KatieSavage wrote:It made me sad that they didn't end up together. She freed herself, but she had been tied down for so long that it has left permanent scars. She became someone else entirely and she lost what Elias had loved so much about her. She had lost some amount of joy for living. I don't know if she will be happier with or without Elias. I really didn't like what had happened at the end with them. I was hoping he would accept the new Malika and love her just as much as he loved the old Malika. It just made me so sad!!!

I thought it was kind of heartbreaking, too.

Shaimaa wrote:I like the development in Malika's character and her determination. She learned English, set herself free, and traveled. She realized who she is and what she wants from life. Then she managed to untie herself from Elias and her old self, too.

What do you think of her? Were you pleased with what happened between her and Elias during the concert at the end?

I was alright with the ending because it's reflective of life and romance - in real life seldom do we get happy endings or end up together and after so long of being apart you find that you've outgrown each other and probably don't mesh/gel with each other's new personality and ambitions in life. C'est La Vie . Got to be okay with letting go too.

ritah wrote:

Shaimaa wrote:I like the development in Malika's character and her determination. She learned English, set herself free, and traveled. She realized who she is and what she wants from life. Then she managed to untie herself from Elias and her old self, too.

What do you think of her? Were you pleased with what happened between her and Elias during the concert at the end?

I was alright with the ending because it's reflective of life and romance - in real life seldom do we get happy endings or end up together and after so long of being apart you find that you've outgrown each other and probably don't mesh/gel with each other's new personality and ambitions in life. C'est La Vie . Got to be okay with letting go too.

I totally understand what you mean, especially how time affects and changes us.

I think her development was spot on and she had to do what she did to Elias at the end because otherwise, the audience would see that she wasn't being true to herself. Eight years had passed and she could not have kept her innocence that long, so I was saddened by the ending, but it was appropriate.

I really thought they will end up together, but maybe that was not meant to be. She realizes that she is capable of doing anything and she did not need anyone to achieve her goals.

KatieSavage wrote: ↑08 Aug 2017, 20:44 It made me sad that they didn't end up together. She freed herself, but she had been tied down for so long that it has left permanent scars. She became someone else entirely and she lost what Elias had loved so much about her. She had lost some amount of joy for living. I don't know if she will be happier with or without Elias. I really didn't like what had happened at the end with them. I was hoping he would accept the new Malika and love her just as much as he loved the old Malika. It just made me so sad!!!

When I realized that there was no happy ending for them, my first reaction was heartbreak. Then I thought, this is how real life works. We tend to forget that everybody changes. Malika has changed a lot, but Elias did too. He realized he was holding on to a memory of something (and someone) who didn't exist anymore and did the right thing. He moved on.

Particularly I wasn't happy. Elias loved Malika to the point of death. A man giving up her life to come stay with you calls for more than self love.
In some point I also understand her, maybe she was just getting back at him. Remember when Elias ran away when he realised Malika was a minor? It hurt her so much so I guess she grew stronger from her pains.
All in all, giving up Elias was not a good thing to do.

Malika's character initially made me sick. She grew up in prostitution and also earned a living through that. But, as the clock tickled she changed into a new leaf leaving all the bad aside her. Well, I like the fact that she had a new mindset of changing from a dirty life style to a clean one.

Shaimaa wrote: ↑08 Aug 2017, 17:04 I like the development in Malika's character and her determination. She learned English, set herself free, and traveled. She realized who she is and what she wants from life. Then she managed to untie herself from Elias and her old self, too.

What do you think of her? Were you pleased with what happened between her and Elias during the concert at the end?

I think Malika defies usual stereotypes cast on her profession. She reinforces the dictum that we should never really "judge the book by its cover." We should really learn how to be less prejudicial and be more accepting and respectful of others, no matter what we may initially think.

Just as she emancipates herself from Elias, so did the latter from Malika. Another cliche is that "distance makes the heart grows fonder." Maybe they needed space to have a more objective look at the developments in their lives. Who knows, they may still ultimately find their way back to each other once more.

There's always hope.

KatieSavage wrote: ↑08 Aug 2017, 20:44 It made me sad that they didn't end up together. She freed herself, but she had been tied down for so long that it has left permanent scars. She became someone else entirely and she lost what Elias had loved so much about her. She had lost some amount of joy for living. I don't know if she will be happier with or without Elias. I really didn't like what had happened at the end with them. I was hoping he would accept the new Malika and love her just as much as he loved the old Malika. It just made me so sad!!!

I was expecting and even hoping that theirs would end up as a happily-ever-story, too.

Shaimaa wrote: ↑09 Aug 2017, 03:58

KatieSavage wrote:It made me sad that they didn't end up together. She freed herself, but she had been tied down for so long that it has left permanent scars. She became someone else entirely and she lost what Elias had loved so much about her. She had lost some amount of joy for living. I don't know if she will be happier with or without Elias. I really didn't like what had happened at the end with them. I was hoping he would accept the new Malika and love her just as much as he loved the old Malika. It just made me so sad!!!

I thought it was kind of heartbreaking, too.

Same here. I guess I've never grown up out of my fairy-tale story days after all.

ritah wrote: ↑10 Aug 2017, 12:33

Shaimaa wrote:I like the development in Malika's character and her determination. She learned English, set herself free, and traveled. She realized who she is and what she wants from life. Then she managed to untie herself from Elias and her old self, too.

What do you think of her? Were you pleased with what happened between her and Elias during the concert at the end?

I was alright with the ending because it's reflective of life and romance - in real life seldom do we get happy endings or end up together and after so long of being apart you find that you've outgrown each other and probably don't mesh/gel with each other's new personality and ambitions in life. C'est La Vie . Got to be okay with letting go too.

We all know what reality is. Also in real life, hoping if not just totally aiming for the good outcomes is an essential part of why we continue to wake up each day and go on with our lives.

Shaimaa wrote: ↑10 Aug 2017, 15:22

ritah wrote:

Shaimaa wrote:I like the development in Malika's character and her determination. She learned English, set herself free, and traveled. She realized who she is and what she wants from life. Then she managed to untie herself from Elias and her old self, too.

What do you think of her? Were you pleased with what happened between her and Elias during the concert at the end?

I was alright with the ending because it's reflective of life and romance - in real life seldom do we get happy endings or end up together and after so long of being apart you find that you've outgrown each other and probably don't mesh/gel with each other's new personality and ambitions in life. C'est La Vie . Got to be okay with letting go too.

I totally understand what you mean, especially how time affects and changes us.

Acceptance and moving on would be ideal indeed. Humans have feelings, which for me are also essential to the whole healing process.