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Trust Weighted
Great
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84Trust Points
davidmfishman's Review
Summary - Perfect 5.0
a black comedy about a troupe of Egyptian martial musicians, the Alexandria Police Force Band, making a cultural exchange visit to Israel. A mispronunciation takes them to a flyspeck desert town with no amenities, where they are stuck overnight. The encounter with the locals introduce one kind of drama and irony; tensions within the troupe between the tired bureaucratic pride of the leader and the other musicians add a counter-harmony. Provincials all, they reach credibly across the many fissures separating the two sides, delivering a touching and realistic one-night melodrama. Compares favorably to The Visitor.
Acting - Really Great 4.5
Sasson Gabai nails the prideful middle-easterner, leveraging his experience of both Jewish and Arab culture to deliver a nuanced, tense but sympathetic band leader.
Male Stars - Really Great 4.5
Female Stars - Really Great 4.5
Female Costars - Really Great 4.5
Male Costars - Really Great 4.5
Film - Perfect 5.0
Israeli cinema has come into its own, as good as any non-hollywood foreign film quality.