‘Synonyms’ Film Review: French-Israeli Identity Drama Pushes Protagonist, and Audience, to the Limit
How much indulgence might you feel for a young man going through an existential identity crisis? “Synonyms,” the kinetic new drama from writer-director Nadav Lapid (the original “The Kindergarten Teacher”), is so wrapped up in the intense emotions of its millennial protagonist that tolerance becomes not only an expectation but also a requirement.
Though often surrounded by people, Yoav (powerful newcomer Tom Mercier) is also very much alone in his search for self-definition. He arrives in Paris after a traumatic stint in the Israeli army, to stay in a gorgeous but apparently abandoned rental apartment. His belongings are stolen immediately, which is particularly inconvenient since he’s just taken a freezing bath and is naked.
The chill nearly kills him, but his wealthy young neighbors, Caroline (Louise Chevillotte) and Emile, find him just in time. They rescue him, in a sense, warming him up and giving him clothes and money.
Though often surrounded by people, Yoav (powerful newcomer Tom Mercier) is also very much alone in his search for self-definition. He arrives in Paris after a traumatic stint in the Israeli army, to stay in a gorgeous but apparently abandoned rental apartment. His belongings are stolen immediately, which is particularly inconvenient since he’s just taken a freezing bath and is naked.
The chill nearly kills him, but his wealthy young neighbors, Caroline (Louise Chevillotte) and Emile, find him just in time. They rescue him, in a sense, warming him up and giving him clothes and money.
- 10/24/2019
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
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