Someone to Run With (2006)

I don't mind being kept in suspense a bit, but the questions left open produce a weariness after a while and for me a kind of crisis came when the female lead, who was supposed to be a promising singer, turned out to be-- in contrast to what for the purpose of the plot she is supposed to be-- merely mediocre. I lost just about my only reason for remaining interested. Maybe the book carries you along by virtue of the quality of writing, and maybe those who have read the book are carried along through the movie by their prior familiarity with the story and characters. I was pleased to see that eventually the open questions are resolved (and that the promising guitarist sounds a lot better than the promising singer, by the way), but aspects of the resolution were a little hokey.

This film wasn't easy to track down. I wanted to watch it because I had really enjoyed and admired the novel it's based on, but Amazon didn't have copies of it; evidently it didn't get a lot of distribution outside Israel. I finally managed to track it down to an Israeli online shop.It's the sort of film that people outside Israel should probably watch, because among other things it lifts the lid on what a corrupt, nasty and dangerous place Israel has become - in other words, it shows just how much Israel can be like any other country. The basic story is of Asaf, a young guy who works for a dog shelter (I think he's meant to be an Israeli Arab, but I'm not certain), trying to reunite a stray dog with its owner. The owner is Tamar, a teenage girl on a mysterious mission. The opening scene, in which Tamar goes into a barbershop and gets her beautiful head of hair shaved off, is shocking in a low-key sort of way. The rest of the film, like the book, is a mixture of adventure story and social commentary.It's a good movie, with fine performances from all but especially from the two leads, Bar Belfer as Tamar and Yonatan Bar-Or as Asaf. Quite a lot of the suspense comes from the tension about whether or not the two main characters are ever actually going to meet.David Grossman, author of the original novel, is one of the best novelists working today and this is one of the toughest and most unsentimental Israeli movies I've seen. Since most of the Israeli movies I've seen have tended to be more than a bit sentimental, that's a major mark in its favour. If there's anything wrong with it, it's that it sometimes seems a little far-fetched; the novel was more believable, for some reason. But it's still a very fine story, and it's a shame that it hasn't been seen much outside Israel; most Irish films (I'm Irish) get more hype, but are far more flimsy.

that's a really bad movie, and what's sad is that it holds a great story, which is adapted poorly to the screen (i have not read the book and i'm not comparing the two, only the movie for itself). the story is interesting, with great ideas, surprises and suspense, but the characters in the script are incredibly shallow, feeling less and success very little to bring the viewer to care for them. they're not interesting and have nothing beyond their little plot-driven purposes. the acting also produces that problem, the actors read the lines with no heart (except for maybe Shelly) and even more with out referring to timing and reacting. camera work was also bad by having burned out photography and very little-detailed sets and frames. editing didn't manage to save the movie. all in all it's not the worst, but it's bad, and it's very sad that it could've been more, much more.

Very enjoyable especially for locals who recognize every alleyway and every coffee bar.well cast and acted and the young newcomer who plays Tamar definitely has star quality.Not sure how it will go over in the foreign market.But a local hit for sure! also great plot.Story tells of a young teenager who runs away from home,winds up in hostel for homeless kids all hoping to be the next big music discovery. She ends up being exploited by a no-good drug dealer and loses her dog. A boy, Assaf, comes looking for her, the dog leading him through her usual Jerusalem haunts, the pizzeria, the place downtown where she hangs out with other young music hopefuls and so on....Shan't spoil the ending