Time of Favor (2000) User Reviews

Complex Or Unfocused ?

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 24 February 2005]

The TV guide described TIME OF FAVOUR as thus:

" A rabbi's daughter must choose between the man she loves and the man her father wants her to marry "

So I sat down to watch a movie that I expected to be a romantic drama , and being an Israeli film I also expected to see some secular Vs religious politics . But this isn't what I got . For the most part the story does indeed play out as a love triangle between the rabbi's daughter on one hand and two friends in the IDF on another , but then about two thirds of the way through it becomes clear that this is a political thriller featuring a bomb plot not too different from something Bruce Willis might have appeared in several years ago . When I say becomes clear I mean after one of the character's gets a bloody good kicking off the Shin Bett , up to this point I was asking myself where on Earth the movie was heading

There's two ways of looking at this . One is that TIME OF FAVOR is a highly complex film , the other being that it's a highly unfocused one . I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and say it's complex one . It should also be pointed out that if you have absolutely no knowledge or interest of Israeli politics or culture clash you will be at a loss trying to understand this movie , though it's difficult to imagine someone watching a movie in Hebrew - albeit in subtitles - who doesn't have any interest in Israel

A good movie, and a very impressive directing debut

[giladj · 8/10 · 12 May 2005]

Ha-Hesder was the first feature movie of Yossi Cedar, a young Israeli director. It deals with the first steps of two young religious Zionists in adult society. Both characters - Pini and Menachem - are students in a "Hesder" school of Jewish studies. The "Hesder" (lit. arrangement) is the name given to a special kind of school, enabling students who wish both to perform their army duty and to continue their post-high-school Jewish education to remain even in the army within relatively homogeneous units, exposed less than the average soldier to the "dangerous" secular sphere. One of the young men, Menahem (Aki Avni in a good performance), has grown to be an infantry officer, the commander of a platoon. Lately, following some string-pulling by the Hesder's charismatic Rabbi Meltzer (brilliant acting of Assi Dayan), he has been given a platoon of highly-motivated Hesder soldiers. This causes some headaches for the Israeli secret service, who suspect that Rabbi Mettzer's extremist ideas now have the means to be realized. The other guy, Pini (Idan Altermann, also in a good performance), cannot enlist due to an illness, but is considered the brilliant mind and R. Meltzer plans a great Rabbinic future for him. The script uses a romantic tension (watch Tinkerbell as Michal in very good acting!) to lead these two friends on their very different tracks. Political, religious and romantic energies combine to produce an effective, albeit predictable, storyline. This is a very impressive cinematic debut. Cedar grew up as a religious Zionist, but from a very liberal and academic milieu and this ambivalence and intimate knowledge with the subject matter lends the acting great credibility, acknowledged even by many religious friends of mine who did not really like the plot. The scenery is beautiful, especially the desert hills of Kfar Adumim, the shooting location halfway between Jericho and Jerusalem.

A refreshingly realistic Israeli movie

[ian29cent · 7/10 · 26 February 2005]

It is refreshing to see an Israeli movie that was realistic in it's portrayal of Israeli military culture. It was slow to get going at first , but then it held my attention. As an Israeli, I didn't think the dialogue was clear enough to follow at times, and often I had to refer to the English subtitles to follow . I didn't think any of the characters were drawn well enough, particularly the character of Michal.As one of the central characters of the plot ( the two men are fighting over her), there is not enough done to establish why her character generates this depth of feeling in the two men. Often Tinkerbell appears to be just reading from the script rather than acting. Aki Avni performance was very good despite the sparseness of the character as written.

Israel as it is

[taylor9885 · 20 August 2002]

This film is another in a wave of films from Israel that show the gritty reality of life there. Kippur showed us just how bloody and fruitless the 1973 war with the Arabs was (the scene of three medics trying to move one wounded soldier over a muddy field sticks in my mind as a symbol of futility), Late Marriage showed how hard it is for the children of immigrants to find their way in a secular society--Zaza, the central character is falling apart under the pressure of compliance with traditional precepts governing courtship, marriage and divorce.

The character of Rabbi Meltzer seems to be based on Meir Kahane, the dangerously charismatic and violent leader. People are just pawns in a chess game for this man, and if his family doesn't comply with his wishes he'll find others who will. It's fascinating to see Michal, his daughter, start to assert her individuality after a lifetime of conformity with her father's wishes. The first indication of rebellion takes place on a mountainside overlooking the kibbutz where she grew up; she tells a bitter story of neglect and indifference to human needs that is very touching. Tinkerbell and Aki Avni are very good; Assi Dayan as the Rabbi is outstanding in his deviousness cloaked in moral fervor.

Universal problem

[sergepesic · 7/10 · 17 December 2012]

Israeli settlement, yeshiva with a dangerous, charismatic rabbi, and a military unit of devout young orthodox Jews. Combination of fundamentalist approach to faith and proximity of weapons, always a very bad idea.Mix in two young men and the rebellious daughter of the above-mentioned rabbi Meltzer, and there we have a love triangle. I usually thoroughly enjoy Israeli cinematography known for its freshness and creativity, but " Time of Favor" falls short. Could be the lack of knowledge about the Orthodox branch of Judaism on my part ( i am not Jewish), or possibly the muddled vision of the director. I am not sure, but what's left is a tackle on this universal problem of religious fundamentalists who, of course believing that they are the only ones with the right answers, feel obliged to demolish everybody else. Sad state of affairs but not enough for a movie.

Parts Didn't Make Sense

[WorldHarvestGirl · 7/10 · 4 July 2005]

One part I don't understand was, why was "Pini" gonna blow himself up in the tunnel? I thought Jews didn't believe in doing things like that?? Only muslims do. That part really confused me.

I also wish the film would have shown the "Powers That Be" forgiving or saying "sorry" to Menachem for thinking he was involved in the whole "mess" when he wasn't. Also, it didn't show Michal either believing him now that the whole "mess" was over, or did she still want to be with him or?? This movie, at the end, just left a lot of loose ends.

Also, I really didn't see how what the Rabbi said could incite Pini to take the heinous course of action that he did. I'll have to go back and re-watch it; I was so lost through most of this LOL!

Love Triangle???

[films42 · 9/10 · 1 April 2002]

We saw this film on Friday night @ one of Chgo's premiere "art" theaters (the Landmark @ Century Center). There were maybe a dozen people in the audience besides us. Too bad. With all the horrible things going on this weekend (Easter Weekend 2002 with Arafat surrounded by Israeli troops in Ramallah is retaliation for the terrorist murder of Passover celebrants in Netanya) few films could be more relevant!

But I think if you see a "love triangle" in this film, you are really missing the point.

SPOILER ALERT!!! (Stop reading now if you don't want to know critical plot points!!!)

Pini does not "love" Michal; Pini loves her father Rabbi Meltzer & he desperately wants the Rabbi's approval. Rabbi Meltzer intends to give Michal to Pini as a prize, signifying that Pini is his best student & probable successor. For Michal, this is just further proof that her father has no interest in her as a "person." He will easily sacrifice her to his own needs, just as he sacrificed her mother. When Michal rejects Pini, he feels humiliated in the eyes of the Rabbi & the community, & therefore he does something desperate to prove himself to the Rabbi. The model here is THE ILIAD. Achilles does not "love" Briceas (sp?) -- she is his war booty, his prize. When she is taken from him, his warrior pride is offended. It is "the wrath of Achilles" that destroys the city of Troy & Pini is filled with the same wrath.

Why is this important? Because right now we all desperately need to understand the psychology of suicide bombers. In almost every case, suicide bombers are young men who need to prove themselves to their fanatical male mentors. They don't live in societies in which women & the love of women are valued. A glorious death is more important than an ordinary human life (his own included). When Itamar freezes & wants to reach out for his wife, Pini is scornful & disgusted with him.

Menachem loves Michal & because he loves her, he is able to renounce the zealot's life, exchange it for the life of a mench (in Yiddish, a "real" >whole human being). She opens his eyes to what is actually being asked of him by Rabbi Meltzer -- Rabbi Meltzer doesn't just want Menachem to give up Michal, he wants Menachem to give up his humanity, to give his life to "the will of God" (as interpreted by Rabbi Meltzer, of course).

Bottomline: Because Menachem sees Michal AS A PERSON, he retains his humanity. Because Pini sees Michal AS AN OBJECT, he becomes an instrument of destruction.

Bye now, Jan @ Films for Two

Very good Israeli film

[Balcanmaster · 7/10 · 15 February 2016]

Very good Israeli film. Simply told story based on a good script, good cast selection, good directing, good cinematography, good music, and last but not least - good actors.

As if Israeli cinema professionally is already mature enough, it is time some Israeli filmmaker to get Oscar. As if slightly Academy ignores Israeli cinema, or at least movies like this left such an impression.

It does not need a film to be a unique masterpiece to delight the viewer. A well-told story by means of professional good cinema will do the job, as in this case.

Israel's Nominee to the Academy Awards is One Part Romance, One Part Action and another Part Politics

[havana-2 · 10/10 · 28 January 2001]

Joseph Cedar's directing debut garnered the Israeli Academy Award and early Academy Foriegn Film recognition for a good reason. It is a good film. Unlike recent Israeli exports, Haesder or Time of Favor as it is titled in English is technically superb and fluid in how it delivers its story line. The very talented Aki Avni plays Menachem, a religious soldier. He is a disciple of his local rabbi who believes in settling areas in Jerusalem that are in conflict. The rabbi is played by Israeli actor/director and son of war hero Moshe Dayan- Asi Dayan. The rabbi promises his daughter to another of his disciples and a friend of Menachem's- a religious scholar named Pini. Meanwhile a love triangle develops. Inrtigue and action come into play and the end culminates with brilliant rhythmn and suspense. The film is shot superbly considering its relative low budget and the production value is high. Many of the military sequencesand scenes are reminiscent of THREE KINGS, and the score is Yanni-esque and adds a middle eastern flavor to this politically significant and turbulent movie. I reccomend this movie highly without reservations. It should be seen, I saw it in a large movie theatre and was moved as was the rest of the audience.

A Film that Loses Direction

[jmverville · 3/10 · 1 October 2004]

When watching this film I was very astonished at how much potential could have existed for the plot that was given, yet how badly the actual film was executed. The basic plot seemed very interesting, but for many reasons, the portrayal was a failure. It seemed to have lost direction on a large scale.

None of the characters involved seem real or convincing in their roles, and often there seemed to be a sense of passionless acting that bogged the film down. Also, too much plot was happening all at once so that it was hard to follow the progression of the film. Large, unexplained character shifts and a certain sense of dark, dreary boredom plagued the film.

I found the film to be very lacking, tedious, and something that I would recommend to no one.

Religion and Violence

[vishal_wall · 8/10 · 6 December 2006]

Meltzer is a Rabbi in West Gaza. He teaches fanaticism. He has two important men for his religious purposes. Menachem is the leader of his army and Pini is his best student who will be his successor. Meltzers daughter brings these three characters confronting each other as she falls for the right contender.

This film is extremely assuming. It assumes you know everything about settlers and their politics. It seems a lot is also lost in translation. Still this film works for me. It talks about a fundamental question what's more important men or god? At least thats my interpretation of 'Crusade' and 'Jihad'. I like the sequence where Menachem is arrested and questioned. There are lots of things in the film I could not understand or relate to but still it was good. I think the story is good but it was not presented in a comprehending manner. My interpretation of the film is that people, if given power, use it for their individual purposes. So power should not be consolidated in one hand. The 'two contenders', a religious fanatic and a trigger easy army man, was also a very interesting conflict. Film also raises the question how difficult and important it is to separate violence from religion. Character of Michal is good. She only brings these two characters in conflict. Quite nice check it out. 8/10

Good but over touted

[=G= · 5/10 · 25 December 2002]

"Time of Favor" seems to be an earnest attempt to tell a somewhat mundane tale, as films go, of a religious military man who has to weigh matters of faith with conscience, love with duty, sacrifice with fulfillment, etc. - nothing particularly new. The film comes off like a low budget indie with obvious cost cutting throughout and muddles the core issues with too much busy work. Somewhat esoteric, Israelis would better empathize with the circumstances and probably glean more from the cultural subtleties. A gentile who's never been to Israel, I found the film to be marginally interesting, minimally entertaining, and anticlimactic. (C)

Note - The cover of the DVD I rented bore a quote from the Village Voice calling this film "exotic"..."erotic"...."highly atmospheric". I wonder if they saw the same movie. The one I watched was only exotic because it was a foreign film from Israel, had no sex (one kiss), and the atmospherics were ordinary at best. Moral - beware the box cover B.S.

A solid if imperfect thriller

[bob the moo · 31 May 2004]

In a West Bank settlement a Rabbi has risen up to get his own following. It is Rabbi Meltzer's plan to build the temple and he has formed his own military unit under the command of Menachem, on of his disciples. Meanwhile one of Menachem's men, Pini, is called to meet the Rabbi's daughter, Michal, so that their marriage can be arranged. However Michal rejects Pini as she has fallen for Menachem.

Other reviewers here have criticised this film for not giving them the understanding of the politics around the area, however I consider this a very unfair accusation. This film is not about the situation; it may have some subtexts that comment on it but generally the film struck me as a thriller based around several characters. As such (and I can only review it as such) I found it to be quite effective at points but also to be rather slow at others. As a thriller there were plenty of good moments – either tense, running with guns moments or good revelations or twists around the characters; however at other times it was too slow and seemed to drag to include at attempt at subtext or commentary that it didn't need (or certainly didn't do enough with).

Outside of this the story is pretty good even if you ignore some of the character's motivations. I must admit to being a bit lost as to why Michal took the path she did with such vigour while Pini was a mystery to me; but ignoring the weaker turns helped me focus on the dramatic flow, flawed though it was. The direction is good even though the budget clearly would not compare to your average Hollywood thriller. I had never seen any of the cast in anything before and they were pretty average on the whole. The only performances that stood out for me were Avni's Menachem and Volf's Mookie – both had good presence.

Overall this is not a great film but it more or less works as a watchable little thriller based around several characters. The story may have plenty of flaws but it moves along well enough save for a few dull patches. It won't teach you anything about the region and it's occasional attempts to pass comment only serve to take away from the main story which could have been a lot pacier and exciting without Meltzer's preaching.

The best action movie I ever saw, but I do love Israel

[hpiny · 10/10 · 11 November 2001]

I love action movies, and this was one of the best I have ever seen. I am colored by my love of Israel. This movie had magnificent scenes of Israel and Israeli life as a backdrop for the fabulous action movie that just kept on going. SEE IT!

Time well-spent.

[yochai26 · 9/10 · 23 July 2009]

Against a backdrop of grandiose American thrillers lacking real character development, "Time of Favor" stood out as an intimate film with a denouement that, in its last third, kept me squirming on pins and needles and 40kg of emotionally charged stolen explosives. Exotic? The very idea of an Israeli suicide bomber, yes. Erotic? Let's just say that the mind is the seat of Eros, not the eyes. A simple scene between a fully clothed Menachem and Michal - just the shadows of their hands on the wall of a deserted house - for me, contained as much of an erotic charge as the soft-porn love scene in "Cold Mountain". It might not do that for you, but hey, a film is different for every viewer.

I'd concur that some cultural elements of the film would be lost on a broad audience; i seek out Israeli films and speak a bit of Hebrew, thanks to an old penpal. But the themes - of how idealists are blind to the suffering they cause, and especially how ultra-religious individuals can exert a controlling and damaging influence on those close to them - are transcultural; something that any viewer who's brushed with fundamentalism can appreciate.

Young Israeli soldier escapes messianic rabbi's dangerous command.

[maurice_yacowar · 9/10 · 27 May 2014]

Perhaps the dominant theme in Joseph Cedar's Time of Favor is the need for doubt, i.e., the folly, often fatal, of absolute certainty of one's righteousness.

In Michal's first conversation with Menachem she notes how the Israeli men see everything in black and white, untroubled by nuances. He takes pride in quickly overcoming doubts, which serves him well as a military commander but troubles his attraction to her. Their lyrical shadowplay shows them too doubtful about their feelings to touch but open to intertwine their shadows. In a close later scene the Mossad men discuss their concern over Rabbi Meltzer's lack of doubt.

In both closed male systems, the IDF and Rabbi Meltzer's militant yeshiva, the men are too absolutely certain of their righteousness to achieve justice. Indeed Meltzer insists that in war one needs to forget one's family, lover, emotions, to succeed as warrior. When the soldiers target Menachem in the tunnels at the end, as in his violent interrogation earlier, their unfounded certainty about his guilt threatens a profound injustice.

When Menachem declares that Rabbi Meltzer has stolen his soul he realizes that Meltzer's domination threatens Menachem's and Michal's happiness, not to mention the general peace. Where her rejected suitor, the scholar Pini, launches a suicide bombing mission to impress the rabbi and Michal, Menachem resolves to leave the army and his command of the rabbi's military unit. He wants to live a more sensible, human life.

As Michal notes, the rabbi's blind vision cost her mother's life. If a terrorist were to kill Michel, Meltzer would dismiss it as the pain on which Israel is built. Where Pini loves Michal for the Rabbi Meltzer he sees in her, Menachem's love for her exposes his mentor's dangerous folly. Michal has her father's strong will and strong sense of self but is mercifully free of his arrogance.

Here's the film's crowning paradox. It's about the development of a suicide bomber in a West Bank settlement, targeting the Temple Mount, but it has nothing to do with the Palestinians. Cedar's point is that Jewish religious fanaticism and messianic fervour are as dangerous and irrational as the Palestinians'. Hence Menachem's rousing speech to his troops: in war you don't fight the enemy, you fight yourself. As it happens, that's the original meaning of the Islamic word jihad. Menachem's term to fire up his troops' dedication to Jehovah also parallels the Arabs' bloody service to Allah. To the secular Mookie, it's like a stick of dynamite up the soldier's ass. That's religious fervour for you. It fires you up — fatally and alone.

Cedar frequently parallels scenes to pointed effect. In one, he cuts from Michal's solitary sabbath devotion to the barracks men rowdily and brutishly celebrating the eve. Her modest reverence contrasts to their loutish service. Among the men Menachem sits quietly contemplative, as if already decided he must choose her life over theirs. For more see www.yacowar.blogspot.com.

GOOD BENCHMARK

[tommyg · 5 February 2002]

This movie is a good benchmark to judge other movies: it was ALMOST good and ALMOST poor as it loses the viewer and then ALMOST recovers its mistakes. Relying on subtitles often made the story difficult to understand as they quickly flashed and disappeared. Hence, the visual was more important than interpreting the dialogue. The script's development of ambience and culture and human conflicts are either too skimpy or awkwardly placed in the flow of things. I am of the opinion that only Spanish films compete with the film subtitle speed.

Not having visited Israel, I was as interested in the captured geography and visuals as I was the story. So, I was too often left outside of the vision of the writer. Having said that, it was a ALMOST an average picture that was not that convincing in its telling and managed to get to the ending credits.

One movie gives way to another

[Nozz · 8/10 · 17 July 2021]

TIME OF FAVOR starts out as a love triangle and then switches into a thriller. It is interested in stylishly presenting both stories, so it winds up being a little long, and yet even then it's missing some setup near the beginning. The rabbi wants his daughter to marry the most brilliant of his students, but we never see even a perfunctory demonstration of that student's brilliance. The daughter falls in love with a different disciple of the rabbi's instead, but the script doesn't give them any particular reason to fall in love. It almost looks less like the real thing on the girl's part than like simple rebellion against her father... but it's supposed to be the real thing, or the plot doesn't have sufficient fuel. The thriller section proceeds well; the situations are sold to us by some of Israel's best character actors. All in all, the film was crafted well enough to kick off a writing/directing career (not an easy thing to do in Israel) that has been going strong for Joseph Cedar over more than twenty years now.

Could Have Been A Better Effort

[soutexmex · 29 November 2002]

This is the first Israeli film I have seen and I really wanted to get to know more about the citizens via this route. Though I did learn some things, it isn't enough to recommend. The director presumes the audience knows the situation and all the locales. Though I keep up with the news daily, I just couldn't identify with the West Bank settlers. The undertone of religious renegades and dark collusion just wasn't filmed correctly. The scenes kept jumping around and I wanted to call the editor and ask why there couldn't be more of a flow to the sequences. I am looking forward to seeing more Israeli productions. Perhaps I can learn more of that beseiged society that I didn't feel here.

The well-protected truth about the Israeli Government

[Everyones_A_Critic · 21 July 2003]

One of the many reasons I appreciated this movie was because it spoke of a certain truth behind the Israeli government; namely, their unique and authentic desire to protect and live side-by-side with their Arab neighbors. Although there may be army generals who could have allowed the explosion under the Dome of the Rock to take place, they no doubt would expect a massive retaliatory attack on Israel by surrounding countries resulting in instability in the region. Political and religious suicide, to be exact. However, I felt that the film depicted the soldiers acting collectively and selflessly to prevent such a tragedy to occur because their job is to protect and defend the Land of Israel, its landmarks, and citizens, including Arab-Israeli citizens.

The under ground activity is very symbolic of the underground politics of the Israel government in its efforts to deal with the political situation of the region. Like the US, there are many times civilian lives have been spared and the heroes are never known nor are the events made public.

It's hard to identify the protagonist, although Menachem is most likely the closest candidate. Depending on who is viewing the film, he may be seen as friend or foe.

The movie plot suffered slightly due to the intermediate love (lust) story involving Pini. Audiences have enough trouble keeping up with their own relationships, it's not necessary to drag them into a failure from the beginning.

Editing and lighting techniques were overlooked but forgiven because the film was shot mostly outdoors. Overall, a very well-done film and deserves 8 of 10 stars.

Interesting and beautiful scenery. Amazing for a film from the Middle East!

[stargirlrk · 7 May 2003]

When I saw the DVD of this at Blockbuster, I thought it would be interesting for I am interested in the West Bank in Israel and the people who live there (called "settlers" because they live in so called "Arab" land, which is really Jewish land). It is about a rabbi who runs his own Israeli military unit in the West Bank. The rabbi's favorite Hebrew student is in love with the rabbi's daughter, while the daughter is really in love with a dashing young military unit leader. The film is basically the soldiers hanging around, doing military training, while the rabbi's student tries to get with his daughter while the daughter is trying to get with the unit leader. It is a drama-less love triangle until the end, when they find that several large quantities of explosives have been stolen from the military depot and it turns out that the rabbi's student is going to blow up the Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem so that the Jewish Temple can be rebuilt there (the 3,000 year-old temple destroyed by the Romans). So basically, the end comes and the soldiers find the student underneath the mosque and shoot him before he can detonate the explosives. This is like many other European and Middle Eastern films, it has more to do with scenery and art than with actual drama. It won Best Picture at the Israeli National Film Awards and I can believe it, but it is generally boring unless you are absolutely crazy about love-triangle films. See this if you like foreign films, but if you are looking for a true drama, see something else. This is a good film but it feels like something is missing