Considered by many to be the funniest Israeli movie ever made, Hagiga B'Snuker stars Israel's top comedians such as Ze'ev Revach, Yehuda Barkan and Yosef Shiloah. The story is about two twin brothers, Azriel and Gavriel (both played by Yehuda Barkan), who are in no contact with each other, since they live totally different lives. Azriel is a very religious, naive and good-hearted Jew who works in a fruit shop in Jaffa and leads a very religious life. Gavriel, on the other hand, is a hoodlum and a good-for-nothing hustler who together with his friend Hanuka (Ze'ev Revach) runs a Snooker Bar. Gavriel and Hanuka make easy money by swindling innocent people into gambling on Snooker games. One day Gavriel is forced to renew contact with his brother, because he is in trouble with the mafia, and the only way to pay them off is by selling the family estate which is co-owned by Gavriel and his brother Azriel. Accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack by Matti Caspi, this movie provides a very humoristic view of the clash of cultures in Israel between religious and secular Jews. The dialogs and scenes in this movie are so funny, that you may actually pee in your pants the first time you see it. This movie is considered a cult movie in Israel, to the extent that, living in Israel, once in a while, you may bump into a person so deeply effected by this movie, that every other sentence that comes out of his mouth is a quote from Hagiga B'Snuker.
Reviews
3 Reviews
Raw Deal
(1977)
One of the best westerns ever
3 October 2002
Warning: Spoilers
This Australian western movie is very hard to come by. However, if you do get your hands on it, I recommend it, because it is one of the best westerns you will ever see. The characters are well developed and the plot is superb. In the movie a group of gunslingers are hired by the Australian federal government to quell a rebellion. Once fulfilling their mission, they are betrayed by the politicians who hired their services. There is then an amazing gunfight between the heroes and a firing squad, in which the heroes are wounded and some even die. However, the heroes still prevail. Watch this movie. It will keep you glued to your seat for two hours.
The Valley Train
(1989)
Life on a Kibbutz between two wars.
31 July 2002
This movie is a very good Israeli drama. A young boy (Dan Turgeman) grows up on a Kibbutz between the six-day war and the Yom-Kippur war. The young boy idolizes Yoav, a local hero who has fought in the six-day war in one of the IDF elite forces. As the young boy grows into a man and is himself drafted into the army, his relations with Yoav change from idolship and devotion to competition and rivalry. The Yom-Kippur war breaks out and all Israelis are called to arms. Yoav dies in the war, and the young boy takes his place. Inheriting Yoav's status is made final as the young boy makes love to Yoav's girlfriend Ruti. This is a beautiful movie displaying amazing scenery from Israel's Valley of Jezre'el, and portraying the unparalleled romantic character of Israelis who fight for their land when it is necessary, and yet never stop dreaming about peace. I recommend this movie to anyone who would like to learn more about the Israeli culture and mentality.
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