February 10, 2016 - "The Farewell Party" (2015)

The Farewell Party, 2015Wednesday, February 10, 2016
7 p.m., Stanley Coulter Hall, Room 239

This is the second of two films we are screening that involve director Sharon Maymon.

Directors: Sharon Maymon, Tal Granit
Origin: Israel | Germany
Language: Hebrew
Running time: 95 min

Inventor Yehezkel lives at a facility for the elderly, where he comes up with gadgets to assist his fellow seniors. When neighbor Max asks him to build a machine that will enable Max to take his own life, Yehezkel must decide whether to oblige. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $171,963
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("A Matter of Size", 3 stars)
Steve says: This creative look at obesity in Israel (can you say, "Sumo"?) asks viewers to understand the broader perspectives of discrimination (real or imagined), insecurities and social norms. It is funny and has a message, even as it furthers some other stereotypes.

February 3, 2016 - "A Matter of Size" (2009)

A Matter of Size, 2009
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
7 p.m., Stanley Coulter Hall, Room 239

This is the first of two films we are screening that involve director Sharon Maymon.

Directors: Sharon Maymon, Erez Tadmor
Origin: Israel | Germany | France
Languages: Hebrew | English | Japanese
Running time: 90 min

Fed up with their fruitless attempts to lose weight, Herzl (Itzik Cohen) and his three heavyset friends decide to give up their tortuous diets and try their luck in the girth-friendly arena of sumo wrestling. Led by Japan native Kitano (Togo Igawa), Herzl and crew discover that there are places in the world where oversized waistlines are appreciated. Dvir Benedek and Shmulik Cohen also star in this lighthearted comedy. (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

October 21, 2015 - "Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" (2015)

Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem, 2015
Directors: Ronit Elkabetz, Shlomi Elkabetz
Origin: Israel | France | Germany
Languages: Hebrew | French | Arabic
Running time: 115 min

In this intense courtroom drama, Viviane Amsalem faces an uphill five-year battle as she seeks a divorce from her intractable spouse, who opposes the dissolution of the marriage -- and holds all the cards under Israeli law. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $987,830
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("Leviathan", 4 stars)
Steven says: Mostly bleak with a little humor thrown in, this film shows Russian government in a deplorable light. It features lots of beautiful scenes mixed with corruption, vodka and deception at all levels.

October 1, 2014 - "The Matchmaker" (2010)

The Matchmaker, 2010
Director: Avi Nesher
Origin: Israel
Language: Hebrew
Running time: 121 minutes

In an Israel still recovering from World War II yet also grappling with the tumultuous "Swinging Sixties," teenager Arik works for matchmaker Yankele Bride as a "spy-guy" who investigates potential clients, and gets a master class in the art of love. (from Netflix.com)

Watch the trailer on YouTube.

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Review of last week's film ("Two Lives", 3.5 stars)
Steven says: Here is another history film where we learn things never touched upon in our history classes. The story telling is tense and suspenseful, and the audience is given only information they need at the moment. This is definitely worth a watch.

August 13, 2014 - "Fill the Void" (2012)

Fill the Void, 2012
Director: Rama Burshtein
Origin: Israel
Language: Hebrew
Running time: 90 min

Eighteen-year-old Shira is thrilled that the marriage arranged for her within her Orthodox Jewish community is with a boy she likes. But when her sister dies in childbirth, Shira's hopes for her future are thrown into turmoil by her grieving mother. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Rated PG for mild thematic elements and brief smoking
U.S. box office: $1,774,639
Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("The Past", 4 stars)
Steven says: Asghar Farhadi has mastered films that tell realistic and deliberate stories. He understands that life is complicated, and none of his characters in "The Past" is spared chaos or mistrust. He does a wonderful job of incorporating the set into the story line, reflecting emotions and realities among inanimate objects. I can't wait to see what he does next.

May 28, 2014 - "Zaytoun" (2012)

Zaytoun, 2012
Director: Eran Riklis
Origin: UK | Israel | France
Languages: English | Arabic | Hebrew
Running time: 110 min

In 1982 Beirut, an Israeli fighter pilot named Yoni crashes outside a camp of young Palestinian refugees, where he's met by gun-toting orphan Fahed. In exchange for his freedom, Yoni agrees to take the boy back to the village where his parents lived. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $42,286
Watch the trailer on IMDB.
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Review of last week's film ("The Great Beauty", 4 stars)
Steven says: Reminiscent of Fellini's ("8 1/2"), this love letter to Rome juxtaposes the city's rich cultural history with the vapid nature of Italy's high society. From poverty to opulence, and from love to friendship, it touches on many life experiences through the eyes of an aging socialite. It leaves the viewer with many ideas to ponder.

November 7, 2012 - "Footnote" (2011)

Footnote, 2011
Director: Joseph Cedar
Origin: Israel
Language: Hebrew
Running time: 103 min

Long-buried tensions erupt in this witty drama, which follows the strained relationship between a reserved Talmudic scholar and his ambitious son -- both professors at the same university -- when the father wins a prestigious award the son covets. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Rated PG for thematic elements, brief nudity, language and smoking
U.S. box office: $2,007,451

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film ("The Seventh Seal", 4 stars)Steven says: I have a hard time rating classics because of the stigma they bring as well as different film standards of the time. Removing those, I can say I really enjoyed the script, most of the performances, and the director's ability to keep the audience interested. While the story revolves around a quest for meaning and a search for God, there is plenty of time for humor, debauchery and juggling. It's definitely worth the watch to see a classic film and director that have influenced so many after him.

June 6, 2012 - "The Human Resources Manager" (2010)

The Human Resources Manager, 2010
Director: Eran Riklis
Origin: Israel | Germany | France | Romania
Languages: Hebrew | English | Romanian | French
Running time: 103 min

This beautifully shot film combines comedy and tragedy in the tale of a workaholic human resources manager (Mark Ivanir) who neglects his family to further his career. But when an employee at his bakery is killed, he begins an odd journey toward self-realization. Offering to escort the woman's body from Israel back to her Eastern European homeland, the manager is puzzled by eccentric characters along the way but begins to understand the importance of family. (from Netflix.com)

U.S. box office: $63,709

Watch the trailer on IMDB.

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Review of last week's film (The Skin I live In, 3.5 stars)
Steven says: Pedro Almodovar is such a name in European cinema, he no longer has to use his first name. After a misfire with his previous film, he returns to form with his newest offering, with a pretty wacko twist. The film was painstakingly made (the sets and props are great), and the imagery is top notch. The story is over the top but can generate lots of discussion about personality labels, the skin you are comfortable in, and the value of outward appearances.

Ajami - January 26, 2011

Ajami, 2009

Directors: Scandar Copti, Yaron Shani
Origin: Germany | Israel
Languages: Arabic | Hebrew
Running time: 120 min

When their uncle wounds an important clan member, 13-year-old Nasri (Fouad Habash) and his older brother, Omar (Shahir Kabaha), fear he has put their whole family in terrible danger in this moving, Oscar-nominated drama set on the West Bank. A truce is arranged, but Omar must start selling drugs to pay the fine he now owes. Meanwhile, a number of other locals struggle to negotiate the political and social tinderbox of Jaffa's Ajami neighborhood. (from Netflix.com)

MPAA rating: Not rated
U.S. box office: $621,240