User Reviews

West Bank Story is a truly creative and original short film, retelling the tale of West Side Story in the context of the Middle East. Specifically, two neighboring fast-food restaurants in the West Bank - one Jewish and one Arab.

As a musical, well, let's just call it a comedy, since the musical numbers are funnier than they are musically brilliant. But hey, it's a spoof, and social satire, and on both counts West Bank Story does really well.

The film does a great job of making fun of both "sides" equally. The satire manages to be both good-natured and poignant, fearless yet never heavy. There are many good in jokes that those who have spent time in the West Bank will appreciate if you watch closely, such as the green line separating the two sides in a split-screen moment...

Yes, it's wall-to-wall stereotypes here, but... can't we have a little fun with this? I can't imagine that having a sense of humor could make things any worse. And laughter has a healing power, so enjoy the good medicine in West Bank Story.

This parody of "West Side Story" has a fabulous opening which I suppose would be even more hilarious to anyone who is familiar with the 1961 movie. Not ever watching that film, except for a few clips, I couldn't appreciate the parody in here. However, humor is humor and good singing is good singing and there is a lot of both in this 21-minute short. Considering the topic, it is not a shock it won the Academy Award for Best Short Film/Live Action in 2006.

Simply put, we have competing fast-food restaurants on the West Bank: one Jewish, one Arabic. You have the "Kosher King" eatery on one side and the "Hummus Hut" on the other. Some of the signs in each establishment are clever ("The Chosen Restaurant") and some of lyrics sung by the "help" will make you laugh. There almost is too much to digest in a short period. One would have to view this several times to get all the jokes in the first few minutes.

Unfortunately, the rest of the film - the bulk of it - can't match that fantastic beginning. Things settle down when the romantic songs start and the rest of the story is romance and "peace" between the two long-time enemies. It gets very cliché-like and predictable.....too much so, to the point of being sappy.

Strange that West Bank Story didn't live up completely to my expectations, but then again I only knew about the film- and anticipated it- from the five second clip shown during the Oscars (right before it won), with a high crane shot showing a bunch of Israelis and Palestinians dancing in the street. It was something out of left field among the nominees, and it gave me and those watching the Oscars a big belly laugh. Unfortunately the actual 22 minute short film only contains some scattered laughs, and doesn't go so much for outrageous political satire as much as lighter skewering of the two sides in a simple context: fast-food. West Bank Story gives us the two chains- Hummus Hut and Kosher King- each with their own wacky decorum (Hummus Hut with their kebab-hats, and the one employee at Kosher King in a large menorah costume, the latter being maybe the funniest sight gag), and equal hatred for the other.

A plot is hatched by Kosher King to build a wall ("Jews in construction?" is the Hummus Hut's response), while the other plots to simply burn down their opponent. But meanwhile, the sister-employee of the head of Hummus Hut falls for an Israeli soldier, and the two of them try to get the two sides to stop fighting. Sprinkled throughout this short are some funny moments of cultural lampooning, like hummus being confused with Hamas, and a split-screen during a musical number with Kosher King and Hummus Hut ending in an argument between which side is encroaching on the other. But overall trhe only criticism, however a significant one, is that it's so brief that only so much can be done with the material, and yet the director Sandel and the writers only go after a few specific things, leaving out more scathing possibilities, ala Mel Brooks or other, to go for the jugular with a touchy topic. It's a safe little comedy, but worth watching at least once, with some catchy songs and small winks to the original Wise/Robbins classic.

I saw West Bank Story yesterday at the opening of the Boston International Film Festival. Despite being only 22 minutes in length, the director, Ari Sandel, brilliantly takes a parodistic approach to the movie-musical genre, but combines this with a satirical, yet poignant perspective on the Israeli/Palestinian dilemma. All of this is woven together, even while honoring the original inspiration for the plot (Romeo and Juliet, and later, West Side Story). Prepare yourself for dancing menorahs, choreographed falafel-making, and a full dose of ethnic stereotypes. The final product is visibly well-rehearsed, to-the-point, and quite hysterical. Go see this film!

I just saw this at the Boulder International Film Festival, and it was the highlight of the comedies. West Bank Story is a ruthlessly funny send-up of everything from Middle East tension to Hollywood musicals. I have no idea how much the filmmakers spent, but they went over the top for what appears to be a student film (USC). Great casting, music including a complete orchestral score, writing, production design - this has it all, especially for a short. I hope director Ari is able to find a career in Hollywood, because he deserves it. (OK, IMDb is forcing me to write more, so I'll tell you the movie featured a camel, clever sets, etc.)

I wonder what Shakespeare might have made of this, I wonder what Steven Sondheim actually did. An handsome Israeli soldier falls for a gorgeous Palestinian girl and the battles lines are drawn. "Kosher King" v "Hummus Hut" and some rousing anthem singing, nimble dancing and falafel cooking is to settle the dispute. We've even a fiddler on the roof! The rest of the story and characters poke fun at stereotypes galore, the marketing industry and I found it a surprisingly entertaining and ridiculous send-up of political and religious differences set amidst the fantasy of fast food frolics with some cringeworthy rhymes incorporated into the lyric. Even the camel gets a kiss as the romance hots up! This is quite good, satirical, fun.

Although it lasts just 22 minutes, "West Bank Story" does a beautiful job of entertaining and educating the audience. The backdrop of the West Bank is a perfect setting for this poignant, playful take on the traditional "Romeo and Juliet" story. It is clear that all involved with this film paid great attention to detail; from the costumes to the cinematography to the conversations, every element is vividly and engagingly conveyed. The satirical spins on Shakespeare, the musical genre, the ongoing political and ideological conflicts in the Middle East, and even the fast food industry make this a must-see. "WBS" was one of the true highlights of Sundance 2005...kudos to cast and crew on a job very well done. I made sure I was one of the first in line to add this short to my collection when it was released on DVD!

This smug short subject Oscar winner made in the US is a clumsy piece of heavy handed satire that borders on being downright offensive. Lacking in wit or originality the film parodies West Side Story in the comic environment of the Palestinian Israeli conflict (see Paradise Now). Both Jews and Palestinians are reduced to buffoons as they battle for fast food supremacy from their respective eateries Kosher King and The Hummus Hut.

Director Ari Sandel's less than inspired idea degrades even more upon fruition as he turns his characters into arch cliché (Menorah Mickey?)and seething ignoramus, wearing funny hats, singing to camels and joking about suicide bombers. The choreography is lack lustre and the parody side of the music score falls flat on its face. West Side Story is filled with identifiable melodies and ripe for satirical lyrics but Bank doesn't employ them and the concept defeats itself. The slapstick, broad and over the top (ululating cashier firing an AK 47 into the ceiling as well as a fiddler on the roof) completes this sweeping failure of a satire that is overlong at twenty minutes. It's condescension is only surpassed by it's artistic ineptitude.

I was fortunate to have seen this film at the Santa Cruz Film Festival this year and it was fantastic!! Humor, political satire, song, what's not to love? I was especially impressed with the quality of the writing - very sharp and funny- and the acting and film-making overall. Really well done and thoroughly entertaining. I expected to see some familiar names in the credits, say Spielberg or some such, but was surprised to learn it was a student film from USC. Top notch production quality and talent. The story line was so true to the Shakespearean plots in Romeo and Juliet (and West Side Story) but with a modern twist and sensibilities. Very timely political spin on the tensions of the West Bank. I will be looking for this on DVD as well as watching for new projects from this creative team. A must see!

If "Kosher King: The Chosen Restaurant" is your idea of a fresh and funny joke, you will love this film. It's packed with broad gags borrowed from the 1950s and 60s, with just a hint of modern, edgy humor to remind us of how daring this film could have been. As it has been nominated for an Academy Award, I saw it on the same evening as the other 4 nominees, which did so much more on what seem to be much lower budgets. IMDb wants me to write more, so in the film's defense, I will definitely give West Bank Story credit for being a spectacle for the eyes. Lots of color, much activity, flashy pyrotechnics, a realistic-looking fake camel, hired chickens (so say the credits)...they definitely used their budget.

This film is hilarious! I just returned from the Sundance Film Festival, which is where I saw the film, and it got a great response from everyone in the audience. The cheers at the end were so loud, I was actually expecting a standing ovation. I attended the festival as an intern with the co-founders of the Harry M. Warner Film Institute. We're holding our first annual film festival this spring, and we went out to Sundance to see some films and get some more experience with festivals in general. After this show, both of my supervisors were so impressed that they approached the director of this film to see if he would be willing to submit a film to our festival. If you haven't seen this film yet, you are definitely missing out.

Ari Sandel was a film student when he directed and co-wrote this amazing short film. Despite this less than impressive pedigree, the film ended up winning the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Film for 2006 and is among the best shorts I have ever seen--and I've seen a lot!! Considering the title, it wasn't too surprising that this film is a gentle and funny parody of WEST SIDE STORY. However, instead of being set in New York, it's on the West Bank and instead of the Sharks and Jets, the two warring groups are Palestinians and Jews. Despite the seriousness of the problems in Israel and the occupied territories, I was happily surprised that the film was NOT heavy-handed and it was in fact very, very funny. It was a gentle spoof of the problems and hatreds and unless someone is a humorless idiot, there is a lot to love in the film.

Of course there is a girl and a boy (just like in Romeo and Juliet) caught in the struggle--but instead of Capulettes and Montagues or Sharks and Jets, it's a struggle between rival fast food joints--the Kosher King and the Hummus Hut! The hats, the dialog, the songs all work together perfectly to create the mood and pull the viewer into the film.

Not at all surprisingly, this film won the Oscar but I also felt a bit sad for the losers that year, as HELMER & SON and ONE TOO MANY were also amazingly good (and funny) short films.

My advice is to see all of these films--they are included in the DVD "A Collection of 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films"--a must-have for fans of the genre. Also, keep your eye out for Ari Sandel--that guy is going places and I can't wait to see what he does next! 10 out of 10--my very highest rating.

As a fellow young filmmaker whose credits up to this point have been mostly short films, it's hard for me to say this, but I was very disappointed by the much-hyped "West Bank Story". After hearing so many good things about the short and watching it win the Best Live Action Short Oscar, I was intrigued, and managed to get a copy of it from an associate. It must be said that "West Bank Story" has a great premise. Unfortunately, the premise is really the only thing about it that's great. The execution leaves much to be desired. The jokes, which could have been so much cleverer and sharper, are instead predictable, flat, and redundant, to the point where the movie just becomes tedious to watch. The acting is fine, and it's easy to see that the filmmakers used their budget to a nice extent, but it just seems like so much for so little. I have seen some of the other shorts that were up for the Oscar, and the fact that "West Bank Story" was the one that snagged the statue doesn't exactly flatter the Academy.

Just watched this Oscar-winning live-action short on YouTube. In a parody of West Side Story, a Jewish soldier and a Palestinian young lady fall in love despite each families' rival fast food restaurants standing close to each other amid their hostilities. There are plenty of funny gags that make fun of the two nationalities' customs and stereotypes but there's also some touching scenes between the couple as well as some satirical lines that cut through the sentimentality. And, yes, some songs that parody the "Romeo and Juliet in New York" musical that provide some of the brightest moments. All I can say now is, West Bank Story is well worth watching for anyone who loves seeing musical satire done with a sharp wit.