This won't be a popular review. That doesn't matter, a few people will see the point.
There are many fine Israeli movies, but this isn't one of them. Yes, the movie has lots of qualities. As far as the movie experience goes, I liked it a lot. But at the end of a movie that portrays conflict, it always pays to step back and ask what ideology may subtly have been embedded.
So when the movie ends, what remains? Every single time a law is broken in this film, it is broken by an Arab. In this movie, Jews never break the law. It's easy not to notice because the stories are so dense and immersive. Many people will walk out with thoughts such as "yeah, it's a complex situation". Subtly imprinted underneath that thought will be an other thought: that Arabs (who break every law all the time) basically make life hard for the Jews (who never break the law).
Don't tell me about the mixed ethnicity of the directors, that's irrelevant.
If you want something a bit deeper, something that looks at why things are the way they are, go read the Eisner-award-winning "Palestine" graphic novel by Joe Sacco, or "Jerusalem" by Guy Delisle.
There are many fine Israeli movies, but this isn't one of them. Yes, the movie has lots of qualities. As far as the movie experience goes, I liked it a lot. But at the end of a movie that portrays conflict, it always pays to step back and ask what ideology may subtly have been embedded.
So when the movie ends, what remains? Every single time a law is broken in this film, it is broken by an Arab. In this movie, Jews never break the law. It's easy not to notice because the stories are so dense and immersive. Many people will walk out with thoughts such as "yeah, it's a complex situation". Subtly imprinted underneath that thought will be an other thought: that Arabs (who break every law all the time) basically make life hard for the Jews (who never break the law).
Don't tell me about the mixed ethnicity of the directors, that's irrelevant.
If you want something a bit deeper, something that looks at why things are the way they are, go read the Eisner-award-winning "Palestine" graphic novel by Joe Sacco, or "Jerusalem" by Guy Delisle.