Alila
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| Alila | |
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| Directed by | Amos Gitai |
| Produced by | Alain Mamou-Mani |
| Written by | Amos Gitai Yehoshua Kenaz (novel) |
| Starring | Yael Abecassis Hanna Laslo Uri Klauzner Ronit Elkabetz |
| Music by | Pri ganech |
| Cinematography | Renato Berta |
| Editing by | Monica Coleman Kobi Netanel |
| Release date(s) | September 12, 2003 |
| Running time | 122 min |
| Country | Israel and France |
| Language | Hebrew |
| Official website | |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Alila is a 2003 Israeli film directed by Amos Gitai and starring Yaël Abecassis, Uri Klauzner, and Hanna Laslo. The drama follows half a dozen very different characters through their lives in modern day Israel, giving Gitai an opportunity to comment on his country's top social issues.
The film was well received by critics. Newsday called it, "sexy, colorful, courageous and boldly entertaining," and the Village Voice called the director "Israel's one man new wave."
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[edit] Plot
Right from the beginning, Gitai makes it clear that he doesn't want to conform to the standard approach to film making. Instead of showing written out credits at the beginning of the film, Gitai reads the credits aloud. He introduces himself to the viewer, explains that Alila is based on the novel Returning Lost Love and closes his introduction with his private wish that the viewer enjoy his film. While he speaks, the camera shoots out the windshield of a rundown car onto the crowded, colorful streets of Tel Aviv. In effect, the audience is immediately familiarized with the Hebrew language and the sights of Israel's bustling city.
The character's lives all overlap and collide. Gabi, a bobbed haired sexpot, and her lover Hezi - who's older, balding and married - rent a room to have an affair; while Ezra, a pot bellied divorce, supervises the illegal construction site next door. All this racked drives poor Schwartz, a Holocaust survivor, to a mental breakdown. Illegal immigrants, a teenage boy who's afraid to serve in the army, and a corrupt police officer, who all represent weighty social issues, also get dragged into the mess as well. Instead of working towards a climax, Gitai's characters mimic reality in their constant search for resolution.
A groundbreaking approach to cinematography, Alila is made up of forty individual single shot scenes. Gitai's camera moves through walls, over desks, and pivots around rooms in order to keep a close focus on the character it's following. And while some moments are heated and full of drama, the camera will linger on its subjects with equal interest even when they're preforming mundane activities, such as driving or washing dishes. In effect, it's as if the viewer is eavesdropping on the lives of these interconnected strangers.
Although Alila has a tight focus on Israel, stories about an unforgiving father, an abused mistress, poor migrant workers, and a tortured old man have a universal relevance.
[edit] Reception
In general, Alila was received well by critics. The film is said to have an "Altman-esque fabric" and a "Kiarostamian spirit" [1]
Most reviewers point to the film's political tone and social commentary about modern Israel. One reviewer goes so far as to compare Gitai to Michael Moore. [2] It's assumed that Gitai's film will resonate most with Israelis, but offer outsiders an intimate look at the nation.
Many reviews also comment on the sense of chaos in Gitai's film. Noisy people, their excitement and clamor, and the hop scotch from one story line to another creates a bustle in the film that's consistent throughout. In fact, one reviewer writes, "It's a very Mediterranean atmosphere, in which everyone seems to love hard, hate with intensity and speak at the top of their lungs." [3]
[edit] Cast
- Yael Abecassis is an Israeli actress who started out as a model at the age of fourteen. Aside from Alila, she has stared in Live and Become Miss Entebbe Kadosh and The Heritage: An Eternity of LoveIn the 90s she starred as a kids TV host and produced a number of successful videos for babies and children. In the late nineties she embraced a more serious career as a dramatic actress. She's starred in several Amos Gitai films and draws good reviews abroad, especially in France. Recently, she began acting in French films. Abecassis's IMDb page.
- Hana Laszlo is an Israeli born actress whose acted in a variety of different films, including comedy, drama, romance, and crime. In 2005 she won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her performance in the film Free Zone. Laszlo's IMDb page.
- Uri Klauzner stared in Gitai's war film Kippur as Dr. Klauzner.
[edit] Awards
- Alila was nominated for two awards from the Israeli Film Academy in 2003:
Best Costume Design-- Laura Dinolesko Best Supporting Actress-- Hana Laszlo
- Alila was nominated for one award from the Valladolid International Film Festival in 2003:
Golden Spike-- director Amos Gitai
- Alila was nominated for one award from the Venice Film Festival in 2003:
Golden Lion-- director Amos Gitai
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
- Kirkland, Bruce (July 30, 2004). Chaos in the heart of Tel Aviv. Jam! showbiz. Retrieved on July 30.
