Written and directed by Eran Kolirin
This has some nice visuals: the powder blue uniformed police band, stoic and ill-suited to the arid Israeli landscape, the opening sequence in the bus station as the Egyptians try to acclimate to the language and social norms of their Israeli environs (they seem to not only be adapting to a new culture a la Lost in Translation, but maybe to a new time, like they have teleported from an era where they would not be familiar with telephones? Perhaps a comment on their conservative Arab backgrounds). It has some nice moments: Khaled, the band's pretty boy, wooing bus clerks with a take on Chet Baker's "Funny Valentine," advising a young Israeli boy on how to comfort/court a girl at a skating rink (this was perhaps the finest 30 seconds of the film), the bickering among the band, among the Israeli families whom the band imposes upon as the members find themselves stranded for the night due to a linguistic misunderstanding (there is no "P" in arabic, so they couldn't find the right Israeli town where their concert was to take place). But the European-style pacing (long shots, extended silences in conversations) will not appease American audiences accustomed to Michael Bay jump-cuts. There is nothing more American than cinematic ADD. Even clocking in at 90 minutes, The Band overstays its welcome. There is a denser film here, but this one wants to keep it light and political message-free. I kept waiting for things to happen, but there was just more talking. Sort of like the Palestinian conflict. Served best with a Mediterranean flavor--turkish coffee and baklava from Hummus Place. |
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