THE PAST (aka LE PASSE) (FRENCH/PERSIAN) (2013)

In "The Past", his French language debut, noted Iranian director Asghar Farhadi presents an intense family drama set in Paris. A divorce is at the heart of this movie as in, his 2011 movie, A Separation, which won Iran's first Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Movie.

Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) is an Iranian who comes to Paris to settle his divorce with Marie, a French pharmacist. Marie (Bernice Bejo, from The Artist) and Ahmad have been separated for four years.  Soon after his arrival, Marie informs Ahmad of her plans to marry Samir (Tahir Rahim), an Arab laundromat owner and that they are also expecting a child. Marie has two daughters from an earlier marriage - Lucie, a sullen teenager and the younger Lea. Samir has a wife who is in coma after an attempted suicide and a young son, Fouad. After the hospitalisation of his wife, Samir and Fouad have moved in with Marie. While the young Lea sees a similar-aged playmate in Fouad, Lucie cold shoulders Samir and hates her mother for rushing into a marriage with him. Lucie, however, shares a warmer relationship with Ahmad, her earlier stepfather. Ahmad finds himself playing the mediator between various players and in the process, gradually unravels a secret that puts all the players on the brink.

Farhadi presents an intricately woven drama and draws the viewers ever so deep into the unfolding events. His characters - each with their deep flaws, guilt, vulnerabilities, doubts and emotional baggage from their past - are very real in their attempts to grapple with their situations. Their struggle to disentangle their present and construct a clear future is clouded by the events from their past which threaten to unravel their plans. Are they to permanently remain the prisoners of their past and mistakes committed therein ? Or, can they find a way to disentangle their present and forge new and happier ties that they seek ? Farhadi explores these questions and more in this intricately constructed narrative structured as a socio-emotional thriller. 
Farhadi shows a keen eye in his attention to details (as in the case of Marie's house where most of the drama unfolds across several rooms) and brilliance in his intelligent metaphors which serve as subtle markers to the future events including the initial meeting of Marie and Ahmad across a glass wall at the airport, their clumsy attempt to back their car from parking as well as the manner of title appearing on the windscreen of the car that is wiped away or even in Ahmad agreeing to clear up the mess of spilt paint.

The film benefits a great deal from the fact that Farhadi employs a solid cast that is strikingly beautiful and have enough acting chops for playing these complex characters and they have put in remarkable performances which makes the drama connect to the viewers. Ali Mosaffa is exceptional as the Ahmad, a man trying find some calm after finding himself unsuspectingly drawn into the middle of a raging storm of relationships of his estranged family and Tahir Rahim plays the brooding Samir with an assured subtlety. However, it is Bernice Bejo who packs in a powerful performance as the enigmatic and the fierce Marie whose present is caught between her past grievances and the future questions. Her performance has already received a well deserved Best Actress award at the Cannes last year. Farhadi also draws wonderful performances from his younger cast, especially Pauline Burlet who plays an angry, yet helpless Lucie who is disenchanted with the situation she finds herself in and Elyes Aguis  as Fouad who is torn between the comatose mother he loves and mother imposed upon him.

The Past is an engaging family drama which underscores the dynamics of dysfunctional families and their effects on the children who are often ignored in the confrontations between the adults of the family. With The Past, Asghar Farhadi has reinforced his position as a master in presenting intricately crafted human dramas populated by nuanced, real characters which have universal appeal. Kudos !!

A MUST WATCH !! 

AMERICAN HUSTLE (2013)

American Hustle directed by David O. Russell (The Fighter, Silver Linings Playbook) is a comedy-drama inspired by the real life events referred to as Abscam Scandal which happened in the late 1970s in USA when an FBI sting operation resulted in the conviction of several corrupt politicians including six Congressmen, a Senator and a Mayor. 

Christian Bale plays Irving Rosenfield, pot bellied, pill-popping middle aged businessman who runs a of dry cleaning chain. However, he is actually conman and mints his money through fake art deals and hoodwinking people desperate for money with false promises of loans. He is trapped in a loveless marriage to the unstable Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence) and whose son, Danny, he had adopted. He meets his match in the smart Sydney Posser (Amy Adams), an ex-stripper and present day clerk at the Cosmopolitan magazine with soaring ambitions to reinvent herself. Mutual attraction gradually leads to a rollicking partnership when she suggests that she could assume the identity of Lady Edith Greensly, with a fake English accent and "connections" to London banks. The two thrive in  mutual company and live the high life till they are trapped by the zealous FBI agent Richard Di Masso (Bradley Cooper). When Di Masso throws them an offer of immunity if they aid in arrest of four big league criminals, Irving and Edith/Sydney hesitantly agree to it. They try to entrap the popular Mayor Carmen Polito (Jeremy Renner) who is desperate for funds to rekindle the economy of Atlantic City. The stakes are raised higher with the involvement of the mob, the resultant involvement of some Congressmen whom Di Masso want to entrap, the growing unease between Irving and Edith/Sydney, Di Masso's growing feelings for Edith/Sydney and the edgy, unpredictable Rosalyn who is hovering around the scene like a gathering storm. 

Will Irving and Edith/Sydney succeed in fulfilling their end of the deal ? Would Di Masso emerge the hero for netting the big fish ? Does he forge an emotional connect to Edith/Sydney ? And, what role would Rosalyn play in all this ? The rest of the movie navigates us through this murky waters as these characters try to con each other (& themselves) in a roller coaster ride with loads of fun, witty dialogue, authentic 70s setting and some really well chosen songs that accompany the tense proceedings.

While Silver Linings Playbook was evidence enough that David O. Russell is a master of creating complex characters that connect to the viewers, in American Hustle, he weaves sheer magic with an ensemble of such quirky characters played by a stellar cast. He has carefully chiseled out each character with a clear set of chinks and eccentricities which make them very human and enables the viewer to emotionally invest in them. 

Given such well written characters, it is but natural that the A-list stars that inhabit them revel in their respective roles. While his mastery in physical transformations is legendary, Christian Bale is simply superb as the tense conman who is apprehensive of the dangers involved in a high-stakes con and desperate to save his family and his love. Matching him every bit is a smouldering Amy Adams revelling in a complex character as she oozes sex appeal in her plunging necklines, fakes an English accent and alternates effortlessly between emotions whether when being hopelessly in love or her desperation for reinventing herself or her frustration on being cornered. Bradley Cooper plays the hot-headed over-ambitious FBI agent out to make a name for himself with elan and Jeremy Renner is good as the well-meaning Mayor. Robert De Niro leaves a lasting impression in a small role as a mob enforcer. 

Yet, it is Jennifer Lawrence who steals the show in a cameo as the feisty, unstable Rosalyn who feels frustrated with a marriage in shambles and craves for love and attention. As a loose cannon who could derail the carefully mounted con at any moment, she brings an intensity to a role which could have easily been a caricature. All of 23 years old, this talented lady is already a winner of Academy Award winner and stands a good chance to win another one this year for Best Supporting Actress. She has loads of talent and I may not be exaggerating if I say that she could well be the emerging as the Sachin Tendulkar of her art. 

David O. Russell, in mounting this delectable entertainer on a large pitch-perfect period canvas, appears to have finessed his mastery in presenting memorable features populated by volatile characters. He has presented us a winner here that is already a front runner at the Academy Awards with a clutch of nominations after having won several at the other award shows. 

EXCELSIOR, indeed !! An exhilarating experience that is sure to leave the viewers look forward impatiently for his next !!

A MUST WATCH !!

HUSH ! GIRLS DON'T SCREAM (aka HISS DOKHTARHA FARYAQD NEMIZANAND) (PERSIAN) (2013)

It is her wedding night and her groom is eagerly awaiting her arrival with bated breath along with the guests. Alas, he is as stunned as the gathered guests when the bride, Shirin Naeimi (Tannaz Tabatabayi), arrives with blood splattered on her otherwise spotless white bridal gown. Shortly thereafter, Shirin is arrested for murder of a man who appears to be a complete stranger. While Shirin confesses to the crime before the investigators, she is reluctant to say anything more on her reasons for the same. Shirin's troubled parents engage a lawyer to save her from what appears to be a certain conviction and the resultant, capital punishment. Meanwhile Shirin's fianceè is dazed after the shocking events of the wedding night and finds himself under severe backlash from his family who had opposed the marriage in the first place. He feels let down by Shirin and abhors her for it. Yet, he continues to be in love with her. Shirin, despite feeling deep love for him, remains a prisoner of her circumstances and more critically, of her past. Seemingly resigned to her fate after confessing to her crime, she withdraws into a shell and stonewalls further questions - by the investigators as well her lawyer - with a loud silence.

Is the dead man actually a stranger to Shirin ? Did Shirin actually kill him and if so, why did she resort to such an extreme measure on her wedding night ? Why did she confess to the crime ? Having confessed, why has she remained silent ?The rest of the movie explains her pitiful predicament in a non-linear narrative which alternates between her past and the present which is in parts a thriller as well as a courtroom drama.

Tannaz Tabatabayi delivers a fine performance that strikes the right note to convey the anguish and emotional turmoil of Shirin. Derekshandeh presents a gripping narrative and refrains from posturing or preaching even as she peppers the film with subtle touches, be it the behavioural nuances of Shirin such as her fidgeting, fearful blink on facing the flash of a camera or even the silent solidarity expressed by Shirin's fellow inmates.

Any murder is an abominable crime which calls for swift and severe punishment to the perpetrator. But, how would one punish a crime when it involves the murder of a person's soul where there are no dead bodies to find nor a complaint is registered ?  What does one make of a crime where the accused remains scot free while the victims are hauled over the coals ?

Iranian director Pouran Derakshandeh's Hush! Girls Don't Scream ! addresses a very relevant and often ignored horror that haunts societies universally. She draws our sharp focus on how the very structure of a society steeped on conservatism and religious ideology could cripple the rights and muffle the cries for help from a vandalised section of such society. And irrespective of the geographic, economic, religious or cultural divides, there seems to be a disturbing unanimity in the ways in which such societies tend to (mis)handle such happenings. It is indeed a travesty that in the garb of decency, honour and scores of more silly excuses, almost all societies turn a blind eye to such inhuman crimes even as they silence the desperate screams of victims by playing a helpless, mute and deaf spectator. Consequently, we have a skewed societal system which emboldens the perpetrators while mutilating their victims irreparably forever.

It is interesting that such a movie, on what is considered a strictly taboo subject in most parts of the world, is made in Iran, which is seen as a staunchly conservative society. It is even more amazing to know that it had a wide release in Iran and was also a blockbuster, besides praise at several international film festivals including the recently concluded Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFES). Veteran director Derakshandeh deserves plaudits for making a movie that is seething with anger, yet, at the same time remaining, sensitive, subtle, nuanced and above all, universally relevant.

Enraging, deeply affective and lingering on long after the viewing, this movie makes a pitched scream to societies around the world to wake up and take note of a devastating crime in our midst !

A MUST WATCH !!

MY SWEET PEPPER LAND (KURDISH) (2013)

Kurdish director Hiner Saleem's My Sweet Pepper Land is set in the newly autonomous state of Iraqi Kurdistan which is facing fundamental existential challenges from neighbouring Turkey, Iran and Syria as well as the local chieftains who are yet to come to terms with their newly elected democratic government and rule of law. The picture opens with a darkly comical scene involving the newly autonomous state's first legal execution by hanging of a prisoner which undergoes a muddled process.

The movie is about the struggle faced by the two protagonists - yesteryear war hero turned reluctant policeman Baran (an intense Korkmaz Arslan) and a schoolteacher striving to educate the kids Govend (a radiant Golshifteh Farahani) - at a remote village of Qamriyan on the Turkish border. Both Baran and Govend chose the remote village over lucrative careers in urban areas to escape the hounding to get married from their respective homes. The village has only two telephones and a bar/eatery named "Pepper Land" and by virtue of being on the border between Iraq and Turkey is notorious for smuggling and other illegal activities. These activities take place under the patronage of the local warlord Aziz Aga who is a powerful man and controls the village with his army of trigger-happy, lecherous goons.


The village is also steeped in conservative tradition and misogynistic ideas. Both Baran and Govend find themselves at loggerheads with Aziz Aga who wants to lord over the village and find their new ideas of rule of law and education for children as threats to his control over the village. We also see a budding romance between Baran and Govend as they stand by each other in their struggle. There is also an all-women band of armed Kurds waging war against Turkey for liberating the Kurds across the border.

What follows is an aesthetically mounted Western-esque adventure set in the breathtaking rocky remoteness of the border village. The story is set to happen in 2003, immediately after the death of Saddam Hussein whose regime had brutally oppressed the Kurdish regions and the region was given autonomy and democracy under the new establishment. While the horse riding, gun toting adventure is the mainstay of the movie, there are subtle indicators to the backwardness of the region, struggles faced by the few modernists, lack of rule of law and other challenges faced by the people inhabiting this region.

Arslan, with his an invincible and rugged looks, is convincing as the yesteryear war hero-cum-present day law enforcer, Baran who is chivalrous and enjoys Elvis, Bach and Mozart. The immaculate Golshifteh Farahani is completely natural as the modern teacher determined to bring education to the kids of the village despite the odds she has to face from her own family and the local goons. Both Arslan and Farahani share a comfortable chemistry and have a significant screen presence which aids the movie a great deal.

While by no means an epic or even an extraordinary movie, the director, Hiner Saleem, deserves plaudits for narrating an entertaining story which presents a contemporary take on the Western genre with elements of dark humour and setting it in such remote lesser known lands. The movie also boasts of some excellent technical credits including first-rate cinematography which captures the mountainous landscapes in their bleak, yet, beguiling beauty and a charming score comprising of diverse influences. My Sweet Pepper Land was presented as an entry under the Un Certain Regard category of the Cannes Film Festival, 2013 and since then, been a part of several international film festival including the Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFES-2013).

A VERY GOOD WATCH !!

HAYAT (LIFE) (PERSIAN) (2005)

What is life ? Is it a series of challenges we confront or a multitude of solutions to choose from ? Noted Iranian director Gholam Reza Ramezani addresses the above and many other interesting perspectives on life in Hayat (Persian for Life) which is a beautiful slice (a very thin slice at that) of life movie which captures the events of half a day in the life of our protagonist Hayat, a teen studying in fifth grade. It is an important day for Hayat as she has to sit for an exam to qualify for a boarding school scholarship. Hayat is the best student of her class in the village school and aspires to study further. But, her poor family cannot afford to pay for her studies. Hayat understands that her best chance is to clear the tough exam to qualify for the scholarship to the boarding school and has prepared hard for the exam.

  

However, in a twist of fate, her father falls critically ill early on the morning of the exam and her mother has to rush with him to the hospital. Hayat is given the onerous responsibility of staying home to babysit her younger brother Akbar, her infant sister Nabat and to attend to sundry household work. Hayat tries her best to cope with this sudden challenging turn of events which threaten to drive a spoke through her carefully nurtured dream of cracking the exam and winning the scholarship. Watch the movie to find if Hayat succeeds in the face of the difficult situation. 

It is indeed amazing that the director Ramezani could fashion such an engaging movie with a plot so simple and sourced from an event so commonplace. The banality of the plot provides the movie with a near universal appeal. Ramezani steers clear of any melodrama, sermonising or other gimmicks and stays true to the tradition of well known Iranian directors  and adopts a clear narrative arc, a realistic setting. To this end, the natural lighting and sound are optimally harnessed by the cinematography and sound departments for creating a realistic milieu. 

Ramezani's skills as a narrator shines through in his choice of the subject and his presentation in a form that is in equal parts, a slice of life drama and an unconventional race against clock thriller which is laced with humour and subtle pointers on the state of Iranian society. 

The movie benefits to a great extent from its excellent cast. Ghazaleh Parsafar plays the practical and determined protagonist Hayat like a natural and expresses the entire spectrum of emotions convincingly. She creates an immediate connect with the viewer and as a result, the viewer feels her urgency, tension, relief, fear, frustration and silent determination as the movie progresses. The director has also chosen a competent supporting cast - be it Akbar, Hayat's defiant, yet loving younger brother, the head master of the village school who pleads for Hayat, the lady invigilator at the exam hall, the sullen old lady who is the partner of Hayat's mother and surprisingly, even in the baby playing Hayat's infant sister Nabat - who deserve kudos for their competent performance which renders the movie believable and relatable.

The movie also communicates to the viewer at several levels. While at an apparent level it presents the determined struggle of the protagonist to succeed, one can also feel several subtle subtexts underneath. The movie projects a snapshot of life in rural Iran and brings a sharp focus on the travails of the women who remain at a disadvantage resulting from deeply ingrained conservative ideas prevalent in a patriarchal society which see them as lesser beings. The movie also brings out the role of education in improving their lot by equipping them with confidence, practical knowledge and problem solving skills as showcased by Hayat's approach to her challenges as well as the lady invigilator's near instant understanding of Hayat's predicament. It is a clear testimony of Ramezani's talents as an auteur that he could achieve all this in an engrossing movie that is barely 80 minutes long. 

Hayat, promoted by the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI) and a multiple award winner at several Children's Film festivals across the globe, is sure to enthrall the viewer irrespective of their age group. 

A LESSER KNOWN GEM & A MUST WATCH !!

LEIBSTER NOMINATION

Ta .. da.. I have been nominated for a Leibster Award. 

First and foremost, I am grateful to Veturisarma for nominating my blog for a Leibster Award.

The Liebster Award  is an award given by bloggers to up-and-coming bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. In German, “Liebster” can mean a variety of things: most beloved, lovely, kind pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, etc.

This is how the award works ...

• Link back to the persons blog who has nominated you and convey thanks for giving the award.
• Answer all questions posted by the nominator.
• Nominate 10 more bloggers whom you feel are deserving of more subscribers; you pass the award on to them.
• Create 10 questions for the nominees.
• Contact the nominees and let them know that they have been nominated for the Liebster Award!

For as long as I can possibly remember (I confess that memory is not an area of my strengths), movies have fascinated me and have remained an enduring passion. I discovered the joy of writing in my higher secondary years and have been penning sundry pieces off and on to school magazines or even essays for several exams I took. When my rookie submission to  The Hindu's Open Page - Mobcasting Menace - was published in 2006, I was enthralled and grew further in confidence about my ability to write. 

Despite venturing into the blogosphere as early as 2008 with my initial post, it was to be followed by a lazy fallow period of five years, when my writing was restricted to drab office correspondence and an occasional report as a sarkari babu. It was during the last year and half or so, when I started putting up Facebook posts to share my thoughts on the movies I had watched, I found that there was quite a bit of positive respsonse for them among my friends. The final push came from my good friend, fellow blogger and someone, I can as well refer to as my blogging mentor - Sakshi Nanda (Click here to follow her much awarded superlative blog !!) who in a way dragged me back to my long abandoned blog. Since then, I have discovered, nay rediscovered, a long forgotten joyous part of me. 

Now, I am at the happy intersection of two of my favourite activities and I find that my joy of watching movies is further accentuated by the idea of sharing my thoughts on them through this blog. A double delight indeed. While it is undeniably true that writing to express oneself is a very personal experience, I believe that it is equally true that writing in public domain like a blog is also an interactive experience where the readers are as much a part of the process as the writer and in their own unique ways contribute to what is written. 

I wish to thank every reader of this blog and I hope that posts in this blog bring the same amount joy to them as I have in writing them.

Now, after that loooooong prelude, I come to the business part of the award and begin by answering the questions posted to me by my nominator. 

1.      Which character from any work of fiction you can identify yourself the most with?

           While each of us are unique in our own ways, one character that I find an immediate resonance with is the character  of Guido played by Benigni in Life is  Beautiful  for its persistent positive outlook even in the grimmest of circumstances.

2.      What is your most favorite movie and why?

        There are so many I thoroughly enjoy that it would be not be possible  to identify any one as the most favourite.  Nevertheless, if you were to insist, I would count (in no particular order) The Dark Knight Trilogy (especially The Dark Knight), Old Boy, Joint Security Area,  To  Kill a Mockingbird, 12  Angry Men, Rashomon, Toy Story series, Kung Fu Panda, Wall  E,  Udaan and  several other movies that I've written about in this blog.

3.      What is your reading frequency?

       It has been coming down steadily. I try to read for about an hour or so every day. 

4.     What is the greatest challenge you face in writing?

      To find time at a stretch is the key challenge. Most times, I do it in bits and pieces in the small lumps of time that I manage to pinch from my schedule. 

5.     What makes you want to read a book? It’s blurb? Review from a person you like? Cover Page? Author’s previous works?

    My familiarity with the author and his previous works as well as recommendations/reviews from trusted sources. 

6.      What are your reading patterns?

     I try to read an hour at least every day before I sleep. I also read whenever I have to wait for something/someone.

7.     How do you fight blogger’s block?

      Haven't come across that yet unless you would count laziness as block. So, can't comment on it yet.

8.     Do you think setting yourself a target works in writing?

       No targets. I watch movies and start jotting thoughts in the blog which I develop as and when I find time.

9.      How important do you think grammar is in writing? Especially in English?

       I strongly believe grammar is very important in writing in any language. It may sound a bit out of date. Nevertheless,  I feel grammar brings a structure which renders the writing readable and aids in clear communication of the ideas as intended by the writer.  

10.  What time of the day is the most conducive for you to write?

       

      Quite literally, any time is a good time as long as I feel like it. 

Next up, I am required to nominate ten other bloggers for the Leibster Award. Here are my nominations (in no particular order).

1. Nivedita Louis - http://cloudninetalks.blogspot.in/
2. Sakshi Nanda - http://sakshinanda.blogspot.in/
3. Sibichen Mathew - http://sibi-cyberdiary.blogspot.in/
4. Vishal Kataria - http://alwaysarocker.blogspot.in/
5. Alex Paul Menon - http://alexmenon.blogspot.in/
6. Manivannan - http://manivannan1972ias.blogspot.in/
7. Rajesh Dangi - http://bangalore-city.blogspot.in/
8. Baby Anandan - http://babyanandan.blogspot.in/
9. Sadhu Narasimha Reddy - http://itcsa.blogspot.in
10. Abhishek Dhingra - http://xpress4life.blogspot.in

Finally, here are my set of ten questions for the nominees.

1. Which recent movie you saw would you recommend to others and why ?
2. Describe your ideal holiday?
3. What do you admire most about yourself ?
4. What quality do you find most attractive in others?
5. What would be the best job/profession for you?
6. A dessert for which you would never say no ?
7. What/Who inspires you to write ?
8. What is the best compliment you've received so far for your writing ?
9. Is democracy overrated ? 
10. A subject/language/skill you would love to learn ?

THE BAND'S VISIT aka BIKUR HA -TIZMORET (HEBREW/ARABIC/ENGLISH) (2007)

The Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra, an Egyptian police orchestra consisting of eight artists, land in Israel to perform at a local Arab Cultural Centre. However, when they land at the Israeli airport in their immaculate blue uniforms, they are befuddled to find that there is no welcoming party/vehicle to receive them in this alien land. The leader of the band is a sullen and taciturn Tewfiq (an excellent Sasson Gabai). Thanks to a mispronunciation, the band lands in a wrong place and is trapped in an isolated small town in the middle of a desert without any further conveyance or communication. As there are no hotels to spend the night, the band is forced to accept the shelter provided by Dina (a radiant Ronit Elkabetz), the owner of a local restaurant and couple of her customers in their respective homes. Tewfiq and the Haled (Saleh Bakri) end up at the home of Dina while the others are provided shelter by her customers. What follows is an interesting study of characters of these unlikely hosts and their reticent guests as they interact ever so reluctantly over the course of the night.

The core of the movie revolves around its three principal protagonists viz. - Sasson Gabai,  Ronit Elkabetz and Saleh Bakri as Tewfiq, Dina and Haled respectively and how they handle their unusual situations over the night. Sasson Gabai owns the character of Tewfiq in its all clammed up exterior, circumspect communication and his constant attempts to manoeuvre through the ambiguity of his awkward situation. Ronit Elkabetz shines through as the assertive and confident Dina who uncovers Tewfiq's rocky exterior with her simmering warmth to find a warm, yet lonely individual weighed down by his pensive past. Saleh Bakri is fluid in his portrayal of Haled as somewhat brash and rebellious member of the band. 

Eran Kolirin, the debutante director, deftly navigates through the narrative of this long night when these hitherto unacquainted persons from alien lands have to interact and traverse. But, are they just strangers from two nations which share a mutual hostility ? In the course of their interactions, both verbal and otherwise, over the night, the movie conveys the elemental human craving for communication and reaching out to other souls, which recognise no man-made barriers. 

Eran Kolirin seems to have a gift of framing his visuals which could communicate and presents the loneliness that permeates the town or the predicament of the characters to the viewer without even a single dialogue. Check out the scene at a local skating rink where Haled helps his young host in connecting to his date or the scene at Dina's home after she returns from a dinner with Tewfiq at a restaurant or the sequence concerning an artist and his unfinished piece of music or even the sequence at the local pay phone where a young man awaits the call from his lover even as a member of the band is trying to make a call.

The Band's Visit is an unusual and rather, intriguing slice-of-life drama that strikes a chord. In the garb of a gentle bittersweet comedy, it presents a subtle, yet profound exploration of the very human emotions of loneliness, melancholy, friendship, love, loss and hope which are commonplace and connect people irrespective of the fact that they may consider one another as alien or even enemies.

The movie won the award under the category of Un Certain Regard (Jury Coup de Coeur) at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 and has adorned several other film festivals where it was highly appreciated. However, it was rejected as the official nominee from Israel at the Academy Awards under the category of Best Foreign Language movie as more than half of of the dialogues are in English.

A VERY GOOD WATCH !!

P.S. -  You can watch this movie on UTV WORLD MOVIES channel which airs it quite regularly.