Time of Favor [DVD]

The real star of 'Time of Favor' is cinematographer Ofer Inov. About half the movie takes place at night & the actors appear bathed in an almost bluish tint, with glowing eyes. It's a superb effect.

I can see why this movie swept the Israeli version of the Oscars for films released in 2000. It's a well-told, gripping saga of a confrontation between the religious and secular forces that push for ascendancy in Israel. Contrary to what we may think back here in the States, there's a healthy skepticism and mistrust in many parts of Israeli society of the ultra-religious, especially when mixed into national institutions like the Army.

Throw in West Bank settlement politics, a messianic rabbi, his flowering daughter, an unbalanced star Torah student, a studly company commander, the Mossad, a star-crossed love triangle...and you've got yourself a very compelling movie.

My only problem: the ending is a little too melodramatic and over the top; but it's still a good ride.

'Time of Favor' is in Hebrew with English subtitles. The subtitles are very legible and well-timed. Certain untranslatable words and concepts are transliterated from Hebrew and presented in quotes. All in all, the subtitled version of the film loses none of the emotion and subtlety of the original.

Director/writer Joseph Cedar has crafted a fast paced, riveting thriller around the current themes of ethnic and religious tension in Israel; throw in a love triangle, and you have a nifty, highly entertaining film.

The cast is attractive and the acting excellent, among them Tinkerbell, who plays the love interest, and Idan Alterman (a television comic in Israel) as the rabbi's favorite student Pini, and Abraham Celektar and Amnon Volf as the soldiers Itamar and Mookie, but the two who are most memorable are Aki Avni, who is fabulous as the main hero Menachem (and is a major hunk as well), and Assi Dayan as Rabbi Meltzer.

Dayan gained fame in 1968, when John Huston chose the handsome actor to co-star in "A Walk with Love and Death" (he was known as Assaf Dayan then) and also for his heritage, as his father was the famous general with an eye-patch, Moshe Dayan. Dayan is a multi-talented man, and is brilliant here, as he teaches his students that "whoever does not know that sometimes a dead lion is more alive than the living dog will stay a dog".

The plot of this film concerning the Temple Mount has been around for ages of course, and was one of the central teachings of Meir Kahane (who was gunned down on a NYC street by an Egyptian in 1990), and he had a surprising amount of support, and not just from "the crazies".

Because of its theme, this film will also appeal to people who have an interest in the "end times" and apocalyptic Bible prophesy, and it is refreshingly free of nudity and bedroom scenes.

The script for this award winning film is above average, the cinematography by Ofer Inov very effective, and the score by Jonathan Bar-Giora terrific; the final piece that plays with the credits is fantastic...those in the habit stopping before the credits run, should not miss this song.

This is a film that gets better with repeated viewings, and total time is 102 minutes.

This is the first Israeli movie that I saw and I wish that more would be released on a wide scale in the US. I am not even sure that this was available to audiences in the US, as I saw it in London, and when it returned to the US, many had not heard of it. The cast comprised superb actors, the script was phenomenal, and the cinematography was brilliant (an extra character of its own).

"Time of Favor" explores the issue of moral responsibility. In this movie, it is depicted as a topic vital to natioanl security interests, as interred by the members of the military, but the issue is relevant to all who interact with society. An Israeli friend of mine once said that Isareal is a sate of many different nations and the people all are forced to become one state while serving in the army. This happens to a similar (but less dramatic degree when conscription is not required) extent in all armies.

The movie follows the creation of a regiment comprised soley of people from similar religious interpretations, which would theorectically mean that this regiment is representative of only one nation in Israel; those that join that particular regiment are those who attend services at a Rabbi's synagoue who often stresses the importance of pursuing manifest destiny as religious obligation. Matters take a tragic turn when a member of the regiment conceives of a plan to actively pursue the policy.

Too often Israel is perceived as a monolithic society. Cedar's film reveals the complexity that constitutes the country. There are deep divisions and suspicions between those who consider themselves devoutly religious and those who consider themselves secular. The two sides often look down at one another and there are difficutlties in them hearing each other in the formation if Israeli policy that is suppsoe to protect the state as a whole. Even within the seemingly coherent religious communities, there are different interpretations of which way to proceed, which is not always realized unless memebrs take matters into their own hand.

When the authorities question the people they believe responsible, the Rabbi is investigated. He believes he is innocent, arguing that he never should have been taken literally. Which raises the important question of who is morally responsibile when causualites are inflicted in the name of relgiion or politics? How much credit is to be assumed by the individual who pursues these beliefs with little or no explicit guidance? How much blame should be ascribed to societal institutions which teach rhetoric about the importance of empire and obligations people should assume for insuring security of a way of life?

This film provides fodder for a timely discussion considering the current trials of Americans who are being investigated for torturing Iraqi. The accused claim that they were following orders; the higher ups say no such specific orders were given. So many Americans endorse policies in Israel which they believe will hasten the second coming, according to their religous leaders and with little regard for the impact that the policies will have on the welfare of Israeli citizens; preaching about the need to rebuild the Temple - even though doing so would entail destroying a relgious landmark for Muslims and exacerbating conflict in the region.

On a less original level, the film also examines the coneseqences on friendship that a love triangle imposes, when two best firends fall in love with the same woman, one of whom her traditional father (the Rabbi) wants her to marry, but unfortunately for her, the Rabbi's favorite is not the one that she loves. It is questionable as to how much of the plan was constructed purely to pursue a perceived religious obligation, as opposed to contributing to the down fall of man who became the object of affection of a woman that the plan's architect wanted to marry. The motivation of what contributes people to commit desperate acts that can be defniend as "terrorist plots," is another revelvant theme in modern times. How much are actions motivated by belief in relgion? How much is the pursuit of such actions motivated by a sense of hopelessness in the future or revenge?

This is a movie that should be bought because it is the type that can be watched again and again, and each viewing brings greater depth and raises new questions - the hallmark of a truly great film