Since I’m not going to be able to see that
many of the Best Foreign Language films for this year’s Oscars I might as well
watch one of the nominees from last year. This Israeli film tells the story of
a father named Eliezer and his son named Uriel, both research scholars and professors on
Talmud text (something of which I know less than nothing about and hence this
film was my introduction), and how their embattled relationship is tested
when Eliezer is accidentally named the winner of the Israel Prize when it was the
more popular charismatic Uriel that was supposed to be contacted instead. Never
has two men with different philosophies and temperaments dramatically hold the
screen without actually speak to each other that much. From this film’s trailer
I was expecting a more comical mistaken identity plot but while humorous at
times this is a tense drama dealing with envy and resentment that builds to an artistic and ambiguous end worthy
of many hours of discussion. I applaud Joseph Carter, the writer and director,
for making such a complex and human story. Grade: B+
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