By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.25 cats
Director: Samuel Maoz
Starring: Lior Ashkenazi | Sarah Adler | Yonaton Shiray
Country: france, germany, israel, switzerland
Year: 2018
Running time: 113
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6896536/reference
Chris says: “Despite the title-referencing dance step, where one always ends up in the same place where one started, this is continually unpredictable to a degree most other films are not. The extended mid-section swaps the bookending domestic melodrama for David Lynch/Jim Jarmusch light surrealism, but it’s jarring, as if it was dropped in from another movie. This irritated me considerably as I watched, but I admit its creative imagery (in particular, the sinking cabin, the outsized spotlight and that darn camel) and unusual pacing has stuck with me. 3.5 cats”
Michael says: “When Michael (Lior Ashkenazi) and Daphna (Sarah Adler) get notification from the Israeli military that their son Jonathan died in combat, their reaction is not unexpected: they each express their grief in profound ways. But as Samuel Maoz’s heartbreakingly beautiful film unfolds, we learn that Michael has secrets that cause him to react in ways that seem extreme. The film unfolds in three acts, as act two goes back to Jonathan at a border post where they routinely lift the gate to let a camel pass by, and the four young soldiers posted there proceed to quietly humiliate the few Palestinians who need to drive through.The action returns to the present where the tragedies just keep mounting. This is a dark film, but it’s not without humor, and it’s definitely not without artistry. The direction is creative and assured, the cinematography is sublime, the screenwriting is powerful, the acting is top notch, and the subtle use of music is delightful.
“There’s a critique on the Israeli military here too, and absurdity that offsets the tragedy in a way that keeps the film from being too bleak. I loved this film and will be nominating it in several categories. 5 cats“