63
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThe Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckThis striking cinematic collage provides a hauntingly personal perspective on a country that has been wracked by strife from its very beginnings.
- 75Slant MagazineSlant MagazineA prismatic meditation on an entire nation, Eliav Lilti's documentary is history as abstraction.
- 70Village VoiceDiana ClarkeVillage VoiceDiana ClarkeLilti tells a fine story, but he doesn't always look closely enough at what he's saying.
- 70The New York TimesRachel SaltzThe New York TimesRachel SaltzThese mostly silent home movies often have the tug of nostalgia, especially those that show domestic life... But images can be slippery, showing something different from what their creators intended. Even as Mr. Lilti constructs a history...he seems to show its fissures.
- 67The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyIsrael’s most interesting — and revealing — footage tends to be the most candid: beach-goers in the ’30s, scenes from family gatherings and celebrations, a coke-fueled celebrity wedding in the ’70s. The commentary gimmick justifies itself in these stretches.
- 60Time OutDavid FearTime OutDavid FearWhat Lilti’s cinematic mural does is remind us that the political is always personal—and in Israel’s case, vise versa.
- 60The DissolveNoel MurrayThe DissolveNoel MurrayThere’s a matter-of-factness to Israel: A Home Movie that’s disquieting, as it shows the joy and determination of a nation in the making, and the dismayed faces of those elbowed aside.
- 50New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeUltimately, this film reveals the Israeli self-image, but not much more. The people with the cameras pass by Arab neighbors, and what the Palestinians’ home movies might look like remains unexplored.