Jaffa (2009)

Imagine a film with an in depth story that will keep you guessing. Imagine a film that has exceptional acting and interesting characters. Imagine a film that is just as gritty as it is beautiful. Imagine Jaffa, one of the greatest films you will ever have the pleasure of seeing.Jaffa tells a remarkable story about a dysfunctional Israeli family that owns an automotive repair shop. The family's problems drive the story to places that you would never expect it to go. This is not a typical film at all. Just when you think you have it figured out, it throws a curve ball and leaves your jaw wide open. Jaffa is full of secrets, lies and betrayal that will keep you entertained until the credits roll.Think of all the elements that make a movie great. Jaffa has all of those elements maxed out. It's a must see film for anyone that likes movies. It's a masterpiece.

I was fond of Keren Yedaya's first feature, Or, so I was looking forward to her second. I found it a bit underwhelming. Dana Igvy returns as the lead, but here her performance is less impressive. I think what I missed most was the naturalistic tone, this felt more contrived and artificial. Perhaps this would have been less problematic if the film had some kind of style to it, but it's rather flat. Despite this, it's not a bad movie... the characterizations are reasonably compelling and so forth. It just didn't really grab me, and I don't think it adds all that much to the Israel-Palestine discussion. Still, I'm interested in what else Yedaya has to offer.

Wow! This is an excellent movie and does a great job of demonstrating love through all sorts of challenges. I really enjoyed the performance by Ronit Elkabetz as I have seen her in "The Band's Visit". It was fun to watch. There was also a great performance by Dana Ivgy, who portrayed Mali Wolf. She appeared so innocent and believable as the daughter who falls for a Palestinian worker and decides to keep it a secret from her family - even after becoming pregnant.While I have no idea if it represented the relationships between Jews and Palestines, I really hope that these type of relationships happen each and every day in their world. There is a chance for peace!!

Israel is receiving a storm of criticism these days for its merciless treatment of Palestinians under occupation. Often overlooked are the Palestinians who live on the Israeli side of the apartheid wall, the Arab-Israelis of Palestinian descent. Amidst this storm of criticism arrives the movie Jaffa. What Jaffa does for both Jews and Arabs in Israel is portray them as human. Palestinians are not cast as terrorists or as suppressed peasants. Jews are not cast as brainy but thrifty business moguls.Instead the moviegoer gets to look into the lives of these two groups of people and judge for themselves. Jaffa does not, however, show the true nasty side of Israel; it ignores the fact that tens of miles away, Palestinians are being completely deprived of their basic human rights, squeezed together behind a cruel apartheid wall by Israel.Is Israel even ready for a movie like Jaffa? I will argue that yes, it is time for Israelis to accept Palestinians, as people deserving of equal rights in a society that has so long denied them that. Thank you, Keron Yedaya, for what the world hopes is just the first of many Israeli made movies to come that give fair treatment to Arab-Israelis of Palestinian descent.