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Reviews
The Settlers (2016)
It tries, but somehow fails
I watched this in November 2023 in the aftermath of the 7/10 atrocities to try and get a wider understanding of the problems in a region that has been thrust into the spotlight.
I'll preface by saying I'm neither Jewish nor Israeli and my knowledge of the Israel/Palestine conflict is hardly extensive, but the good reviews of this documentary gave me hope that it would provide some good insight.
Within the first few minutes, words like 'apartheid' and 'colonialism' are banded around, which doesn't exactly set the scene for a balanced portrayal of the topic, but nevertheless the film does go on to attempt it.
As other reviewers have noted, this is wonderfully shot and generally well-made in terms of production values, but this is probably the best thing about it.
At nearly 2hrs long it still struggles not to rush over important events, and it begins abruptly with the assumption that the viewer is aware of the complex history of the region prior to 1948. This makes it rather fast-paced, with a lot of information to take in at once.
There are some wonderful and interesting characters interviewed on both sides but sadly their stories are not developed and we're not really able to connect or fully understand their daily lives in the West Bank, which seems a real shame.
In terms of narrative, the story is mainly rolled along by seemingly 'left-wing' talking head academics with some segues from the narrator, with the Settler side portrayed largely by themselves. The problem with this is that it clearly sets up a kind of 'official narrative' vs 'crackpot narrative' type scenario which starts to detract from the documentary's credibility of balance. Also, while highlighting a few major events, it generally skims over the Palestinian hatred and violence towards the settlements and Israelis, which is obviously a key element to why the region is so troubled.
In conclusion, this French/Isreali production certainly gives a good general timeline of the story of settlements in the West Bank, but felt rushed even at its 2hr length, and seemingly designed more to get awards at European film festivals than give an honestly balanced view of an exceedingly complicated situation.
Though it did try.
In the Shadow of the Moon (2019)
Wow!
..that was bad. Had high hopes, and the beginning was pretty intriguing. But as others have noted, by the third act it has completely disintegrated. And the ending is just hilarious!
If you like dark, moody sci-fi, you're probably thinking this might keep you occupied for a few hours, and hey what do you have to lose? Well, I was like you my friend, and I lost 2 hours of my life.
I don't think I've ever given a movie less than 4 stars before, as I can usually judge if it's a stinker in advance. But sad to say, not this time.
As other reviewers have also noted, this was a huge missed opportunity - and I think what makes it worse is that it actually fools you for about the first half that it might be a good movie. Unfortunately a triple shot of cliché, predictability and genericism are injected straight into its vertebrae, from which it is impossible to recover.
Wish I can time travel back to 2 hours ago and watch something else!
El incidente (2014)
Weird yes, but if you don't like weird, why are you watching?
I understand the negative reviews, as this movie is bleak and at times visually disturbing, however it certainly stays with you for a long time after viewing - which is more than can be said for a lot of modern movies.
It's a Kafka-esque mindtwister, and there are no unicorns and rainbows. It quite literally portrays what would happen to a few humans, some related, some complete strangers, mentally and physically if they were trapped in a spacial, but not temporal, loop.
If you want neat and happy endings, on-message moralising, famous comforting faces, this is not for you. It's not high-budget, and it's not going to win any Oscars, but it's an interesting idea, portrayed with terrifying realism. It's claustrophobic, limited settings are more akin to a screenplay, though the Mexican hills certainly make for a hauntingly beautiful backdrop to the road story.
If you like Borges, PKD, glitch_in_the_matrix, etc., certainly check it out, you won't be un-entertained. But be warned, it's... pretty weird.
Home Free All (1983)
Woody Allen-esque New York drama
Home Free All tells of a man who was once a prominent social activist, though now is running a scam stall on the streets of New York, struggling to make ends meet. His girlfriend has left him, his landlord wants to evict him and his therapist won't see him until he has settled his bill.
As his life is falling apart, by chance he bumps into an old acquaintance, who inadvertently indroduces him into a world of seedy encounters and organized crime.
Overall an entirely watchable obscure drama, with an instresting soundtrack to boot.
Ticket to Jerusalem (2002)
Could have been quite interesting
Like other reviewers, I watched this film out of sheer curiosity, as I don't think I'd seen a Palestinian film before and I'm always keen to gain perspectives of other cultures - plus the 'plot' just seemed rather charming. Also mentioned in other reviews, this film does appear to portray everyday life in the West Bank pretty well, and if it had earnestly focused on the trials and tribulations of a man who simply loved showing films to communities with his old-school projector, it would have made for much more interesting viewing.
Sadly though it becames clear that every second or third scene is dedicated to dialogue spelling out the Israel/Palestine issue completely unnecessarily, which quickly becomes predictable. The storyline and imagery alone would suffice to portray the struggles faced by the main character, however the repetetive anti-Isreal pathos ultimately detracts from what otherwise could have been an insightful little movie.