​FILMS

self made

Self Made (Drama): 37 out of 100: Have you ever seen a film that seems twice as long? This is one such movie. This is the type of pretentious, foreign art house movie that makes many people refuse to view this genre. Not all of them are as laborious as this one.

The plot concerns two women, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, who lead different lifestyles and their paths do not cross until about one hour into the movie. It is such a hard slog to sit through the first hour where the audience has to endure long, silent shots where the narrative is in no hurry to unravel. You deserve a reward for not yawning at least once or having a nap during these scenes.

When the two characters then swap identities due to a mix-up, you would expect some interest and excitement to arise, but the story then becomes a ball of confusion that you quickly lose interest, that's if you had any interest in the first place. If you can make sense of the story, please let me know for you would be a more attentive viewer than I was. To round off the confusion, the ending is so ambiguous that you'll be left wondering what the whole point of the movie was.

What makes it even harder to stay awake is the music score which is so relaxing at times that you can't help yourself but close your eyes and take a break from the nonsense that is taking place on the screen.

It's a shame that the story and direction are tedious as the actors do try hard to succeed. It is through no fault of theirs that the movie fails to engage the audience.

Starring Sarah Adler and Samira Saraya
(89 minutes)
Parental advice: Nudity and adult themes
Additional scene during or after credits: No
http://www.aiceisraelifilmfestival.com/films/self-made (Movie trailer)

(Reviewed on Wednesday 27th August, 2014)