A great little film that's deserving of a wide audience.
The opening disclaimer was right. Nothing big or really important happens in this film. The stranded musicians spend a night in a town where there's no hotel, and no bus leaving for their actual destination until the next morning. And yet, it feels as otherworldly as a moonwalk, with these small steps taken by members of the band and the Israelis who take them in feeling somehow larger, like the footprint of humanity. Music bridges the gap. So does conversation, or a shared meal, a night on the town, or a little shared wine or liquor, or the sense that they are joined by similar stories of how people meet and fall in love, or how people dream and fall short of their dreams. In small ways, they help each other, and in a world where there's far too little of that, this film by Eran Kolirin is a nice start.
The cinematography by Shai Goldman wonderfully captures the sense of the band's isolation, how they're on the edge of a new social frontier as well. And the wry tone of the film is consistent (and consistently funny) throughout, with one main turning point coming not even coming as a surprise, because Kolirin's screenplay is character-driven, and no one acts out of character.
Though there are eight band members, the film has two main stars and two lesser ones. As the stiff, uniformed Egyptian leader the locals call "General," Gabai manages to convey a host of complex emotions and underlying reasons for his unwavering behavior-a less stupefied version of what we saw from Bill Murray in "Lost in Translation." The "General" may be lost in a number of ways, but he knows who he is and his actions reflect that. Then there's Elkabetz, who's sultry and sensuous as Dina. As much as we understand why Tawfiq is the way he is, we begin to learn how important circumstance is in shaping not just the lives of people, but their personalities as well.
"The Band's Visit" may be a small film, but it has a big heart.
Video:
"The Bands Visit" is mastered in High Definition, and so the picture quality on this DVD is excellent. Colors are bright, and the edge delineation is really very good for a non-HD transfer. The film is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen.
Audio:
The audio is a pretty standard English/Hebrew/Arabic Dolby Digital 5.1, with all three languages spoken. Just as English is the common language ground for the band members and Israelis, it's the sole subtitle option. It's not a particularly dynamic soundtrack, but what you notice is that it's relatively free of hiss, crackle, and distortion--which is important, since silence plays a big part in many of the scenes.
Extras:
The bonus features are scant. Aside from a photo gallery, the only other feature is "The Band's Visit: Making the Fairy Tale," which is a pretty standard look at the film's genesis and intent. Still, it's good to have.
Bottom Line:
"The Band's Visit" is an unexpected delight, and it charmed me the way that it did the audiences and juries at international film festivals. The film won awards at 35 festivals, including the Jury Coup de Couer at Cannes, the Audience Award at the Copenhagen International Film Festival, Feature Film Award at the Montreal Festival of New Cinema, Audience Award at the Munich Film Festival, and the Tokyo Grand Prix award at the Tokyo International Film Festival. It's a great little film that's deserving of a wide audience.
The cinematography by Shai Goldman wonderfully captures the sense of the band's isolation, how they're on the edge of a new social frontier as well. And the wry tone of the film is consistent (and consistently funny) throughout, with one main turning point coming not even coming as a surprise, because Kolirin's screenplay is character-driven, and no one acts out of character.
Though there are eight band members, the film has two main stars and two lesser ones. As the stiff, uniformed Egyptian leader the locals call "General," Gabai manages to convey a host of complex emotions and underlying reasons for his unwavering behavior-a less stupefied version of what we saw from Bill Murray in "Lost in Translation." The "General" may be lost in a number of ways, but he knows who he is and his actions reflect that. Then there's Elkabetz, who's sultry and sensuous as Dina. As much as we understand why Tawfiq is the way he is, we begin to learn how important circumstance is in shaping not just the lives of people, but their personalities as well.
"The Band's Visit" may be a small film, but it has a big heart.
Video:
"The Bands Visit" is mastered in High Definition, and so the picture quality on this DVD is excellent. Colors are bright, and the edge delineation is really very good for a non-HD transfer. The film is presented in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen.
Audio:
The audio is a pretty standard English/Hebrew/Arabic Dolby Digital 5.1, with all three languages spoken. Just as English is the common language ground for the band members and Israelis, it's the sole subtitle option. It's not a particularly dynamic soundtrack, but what you notice is that it's relatively free of hiss, crackle, and distortion--which is important, since silence plays a big part in many of the scenes.
Extras:
The bonus features are scant. Aside from a photo gallery, the only other feature is "The Band's Visit: Making the Fairy Tale," which is a pretty standard look at the film's genesis and intent. Still, it's good to have.
Bottom Line:
"The Band's Visit" is an unexpected delight, and it charmed me the way that it did the audiences and juries at international film festivals. The film won awards at 35 festivals, including the Jury Coup de Couer at Cannes, the Audience Award at the Copenhagen International Film Festival, Feature Film Award at the Montreal Festival of New Cinema, Audience Award at the Munich Film Festival, and the Tokyo Grand Prix award at the Tokyo International Film Festival. It's a great little film that's deserving of a wide audience.
Average user rating (1-5):
Not yet rated.
Not yet rated.
[release]24271[/release]