Famously disqualified as Israel's foreign-language entry to the 2008 Academy Awards for containing a surplus of English dialogue, "The Band's Visit" could have been a worthy winner. But the reason for its exclusion is as ironically fitting a reminder of any when the crux of the film exists in the void of communication and the yearning for common ground. This charming and utterly profound take on the Arab-Israeli divide is sensitive, patient, compassionate and inherently funny. Two pillars of immense performances hold up this remarkable film: stoic conductor Commander Tewfiq (Sasson Gabai) leads his eight-man Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra to the opening of the Arab Cultural Center in Israel where they get stranded in a desolate town with the mysterious Dina (Ronit Elkabetz), the owner of a small café who boards them for the night. Minor events turn into life-changing ones. Every frame in writer-director Eran Kolirin's soulful feature debut has a double entendre an embedded moral code with social and romantic significance. Even with a residual feeling of suppressed conflict, everyone connects with each other on a human level, translating the quiet awkwardness into silent understanding to modestly point out our universal commonalities.
Review of The Band's Visit
