Israeli film comes to Carolina Theatre

In the opening sequence of his film Alila, the director reads the credits in voiceover, concluding with "and the director is me, Amos Gitai. Producer: Me, Amos Gitai." Apparently intent on making his involvement clear at the movie's outset, Gitai is more discreet once his film begins, instead allowing his cast's extensive ability to carry the film.

Indeed, Gitai's Alila is a fleshy, moving piece with a complex plot intertwining the stories of a half dozen potent characters living in a Tel Aviv apartment complex. Two key players--Uri Klauzner's Ezra and Yael Abecassis's Gabi--drive the languid script, with both actors giving deeply-nuanced and memorable performances. Klauzner is stirring as a father caught between a strong sense of love for his family and obligation to his country. When his son refuses to comply with the Israeli requirement to enlist in the army, Ezra disowns the boy, telling him he'll never speak to him again. But later, in a nakedly honest and touching scene, Ezra describes a dream in which he finds his child homeless and frozen on the street. Portraying a beaten man, Klauzner evokes a striking sympathy and tenderness.

Abecassis brings the same piercing duality to her role as Gabi, a beautiful adulteress obsessed with her married lover. When she is at last forced to end the affair in a pivotal scene that climaxes in a physical confrontation, she relies on her cold strength. However, when her wig is accidentally knocked off and her long shock of vibrant hair is revealed for the first time, Gabi too stands naked and exposed. In an inspired move, director Gitai cuts to a poignant closeup of Gabi alone on a stairwell, subtly shaking, hand to her lips. Here Abecassis conveys loss in an intensely understated manner.

Through superb acting in affecting scenes, Alila finds a distinct rhythm all its own, and in so doing successfully uncovers the beauty and humanity of a struggling group trying to survive a world torn by hate.