For My Father

This recent Israeli film, in Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles, is an "almost-good" endeavor.

There is potential for a solid story. An Arab with bombs strapped to his chest heads to Tel Aviv to do his thing in a crowded market place. Problem is, en route to being a suicide bomber, he meets a very attractive young Israeli woman who befriends him. He also meets some generous, gentle villagers who take him under their wing. Having experienced kindness from those he would destroy, is the Arab going to do the deed?

In spite of the obviously strong dramatic plot, the script and much of the acting do not do justice to the film.

This post is perhaps less about the current flick and more about the new trend of films coming out of Israel about the Jewish/Arab conflict. While I cannot recommend For My Father as a whopper (let's give it a grade of B for improvements needed), I would suggest to viewers not to pass up some of the other Israeli-made films that provide great insight into the perennial conflicts in The Middle East.

I will recommend better films on the subject in future posts.