I absolutely loved this movie, which I first caught on the Sundance Channel in the U.S. I've watched it so many times I finally ordered the DVD. This film is a richly textured film, with wonderful acting, strong characterizations, and fine dialog. I'm self-described "pro-Israel" and I did not find this movie biased. It has a point of view as it's the story of a Palestinian family whose home is "occupied" by a group of Israeli soldiers. Everythinig is seen and interpreted from this family's point of view, not the soldiers', with the important exception of the scenes where the daughter hides in the armoire to spy on the soldiers and only we, as the audience, are able to understand the dialog because of the sub-titles (as the daughter cannot understand Hebrew).
I love the subtle acting by the actors, such as the roll of the eyes of the neighbor after she's been "interrogated" and leaves the house, or the reaction of the commander as he rounds the corner of the stairs thinking he's going to be interrogating some high value target only to be confronted instead with a middle-aged frumpy house frau (the neighbor). The expression on his face, from intensity to bemusement as his underling questions this hapless woman is priceless. And the actor playing the father is fabulous as he's able to subtly convey both a commanding presence and someone who's been humiliated in front of his family and in unsure how to recover his authority. This isn't a perfect film. Considering the importance his character could potentially have, the one son who finds a left-behind grenade and plants a booby trap for the soldiers is underdeveloped. Is he such a narcissist that he can't even realize the terrible impact his potentially deadly actions would have on himself, his family, and the soldiers? Since he barely says anything, we just don't really understand what's motivating him. And what more can be said about the truly awful ending song that is so heavy-handed as to be disruptive to the viewer. But, overall, a wonderful film that gets better with each viewing.
I love the subtle acting by the actors, such as the roll of the eyes of the neighbor after she's been "interrogated" and leaves the house, or the reaction of the commander as he rounds the corner of the stairs thinking he's going to be interrogating some high value target only to be confronted instead with a middle-aged frumpy house frau (the neighbor). The expression on his face, from intensity to bemusement as his underling questions this hapless woman is priceless. And the actor playing the father is fabulous as he's able to subtly convey both a commanding presence and someone who's been humiliated in front of his family and in unsure how to recover his authority. This isn't a perfect film. Considering the importance his character could potentially have, the one son who finds a left-behind grenade and plants a booby trap for the soldiers is underdeveloped. Is he such a narcissist that he can't even realize the terrible impact his potentially deadly actions would have on himself, his family, and the soldiers? Since he barely says anything, we just don't really understand what's motivating him. And what more can be said about the truly awful ending song that is so heavy-handed as to be disruptive to the viewer. But, overall, a wonderful film that gets better with each viewing.