The Band's Visit
- Mike Gunn
- Mar 10, 2008
- Series: Film
The "Tag Line" for this movie is, "Once, not long ago, a small Egyptian police band arrived in Israel. Not many remember this...it wasn't that important." That pretty much sums up this movie. Its humdrum pace moved a slow story along very slowly. That certainly may seem to put quite a negative spin on this witty and important movie, but that's not my intent. I would say if you are looking for an action movie, don't see this film, but I think its pace is intentional to the film, and most likely the problem with many American moviegoers. Action, sex and drama allow us to escape, movies like this force us into a conversation we may find uncomfortable, yet quite rewarding in the end.
The story is about an Egyptian (Muslim) police orchestra who has been asked to do a concert in an Arabic cultural center in Israel. When they arrive at the airport there is no one to there to meet them, so they comically look for alternate transportation. Their newest member and ‘wanna' be playboy Khaled, attempts to charm the woman working at the bus station and proceeds to book his group on a bus to a wrong town, which angers his superior Tewfiq, who already is dealing with political issues back home that are threatening budget cuts that would do away with his band. They end up stranded in a very small Israeli town with no place to go, and no one to talk to. With his men tired, hungry and alone in a ethnically hostile environment, their stoic leader finds aid in an unlikely, but hospitable café owner named Dina, who is pretty, gregarious and witty, yet lonely and strong willed. Dina finds herself immediately attracted to the much older, and much stodgy Tewfiq, which makes for a humorous odd couple, but even a better metaphor regarding how two separate cultures can learn to love one another. Dina takes Tewfiq and Khaled (Who was forced to come by Tewfiq as a punishment for booking the bus to the wrong city) to her home for the evening, while the rest of the group follows the other hosts to their homes.
The movie then develops three different scenarios played out by band members and their hosts. Tewfiq and Dina go out for Dinner, Khaled becomes a "Fifth Wheel" on a double date with one of the hosts, Papi, a shy, demur young man, who is forced on a double date with his cousin, his girlfriend and her less than attractive silent sister, while the rest of the band heads off with Itzik to eat with his family who quite obviously disdain Arab Muslims.
All three scenarios demonstrate their own unique comedy and tension, but all three of them reflect our struggle to relate to one another, especially when those struggles involve meeting someone different than us. We so badly want to connect with people on a deep level and feel loved by some one else, but our prejudices and quarks keep us at bay and force us to retreat into pretense and personal gain. This movie wanted us to feel what happens when humans get together, and place their hatred and misconceptions at the door, and coerce us to face one another. We may just find that we have similar interests, and care about many of the same things, and actually are not that much different from one another. We may find that we have been settling for seconds when we could have a smorgasbord.
We soon find out that Dina grew up watching Egyptian films with Omar Sharif, and Itzik's family loved the concertos played by Simon (The bands second in command). What we find in this film is that hospitality, and sharing of our interests and desires can often overcome years of hate and misconception. Director Eran Kolirin confirms this when he writes, ""What's certain though is that we've lost something on the way. We traded true-love for the one-night stands, art for commerce, and human connection, the magic of conversation for the question of how big a slice of the pie we can put our hands on."
It is clear that this is what the movie drives this theme and Eran Kolirin does a fantastic job communicating a cross cultural and political message without preaching at us, or making us hold hands and sing "We Are the World". He does it with a fantastic job of demonstrating it, and allowing us to feel what it's like for tension to be relieved through hospitality, mutual sharing and love.
It will take a patient and astute moviegoer to enjoy the fine nuances of this film, but in the end it will be worth it, because the best things are discovered through enduring and thoughtful searching, which is what this movie says to us.
This movie is rated PG and in spite of its tedious pace, thoughtful theme and subtitles, would be suitable for the whole family. There is one short and veiled reference to sexual activity.
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