Alila
Encyclopedia
Alila is a 2003
Israel
i film directed by Amos Gitai
and starring Yaël Abecassis
, Uri Klauzner, and Hanna Laslo
. The drama follows half a dozen very different characters through their lives in modern day Israel, giving Gitai an opportunity to comment on his country's top social issues.
The film received mixed reviews. Newsday
called it, "sexy, colorful, courageous and boldly entertaining," and the Village Voice called the director "Israel's one man new wave
"; Stephen Holden of the New York Times stated: "There really isn't a likable character in the movie, which opens today in Manhattan. The filmmaker's jaundiced view of humanity is matched by his eye for the ugly".
. Other characters include illegal immigrants, a teenage boy who's afraid to serve in the army, and a corrupt police officer. In each scene the camera moves through walls, over desks, and around rooms in order to keep focused on the character it's following, in moments of drama as well as in moments of mudane daily activity.
Some reviewers point to the film's political tone and social commentary about modern Israel. One reviewer goes so far as to compare Gitai to Michael Moore
. It's assumed that Gitai's film will resonate most with Israelis, but offer outsiders an intimate look at the nation.
Many reviews also comment on the sense of chaos in Gitai's film. Noisy people, their excitement and clamor, and the hop scotch from one story line to another creates a bustle in the film that's consistent throughout. Lewis Beale, of Film Journal International, writes, "It's a very Mediterranean atmosphere, in which everyone seems to love hard, hate with intensity and speak at the top of their lungs." This chaos, however, was not to all reviewers tastes. Peter Howell, of the Toronto Star
simply stated that "It's a bit of a mess".
Best Costume Design
-- Laura Dinolesko
Best Supporting Actress-- Hana Laszlo
Golden Spike-- director
Amos Gitai
Golden Lion
-- director Amos Gitai
2003 in film
The year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i film directed by Amos Gitai
Amos Gitai
Amos Gitai , born 11 October 1950 in Haifa, Israel, is an Israeli filmmaker and director. He is mainly known for making documentaries and experimental / minimalist feature films...
and starring Yaël Abecassis
Yael Abecassis
Yael Abecassis is an Israeli actress and model. She married Israeli actor Lior Miller in 1996 and has one child. They divorced in 2003. Abecassis is the daughter of Raymonde Abecassis, a Moroccan-born Israeli actress.- Career:...
, Uri Klauzner, and Hanna Laslo
Hanna Laslo
Hanna Laslo is an Israeli actress and comedian.Laszlo rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s in the wake of comedy routines in which she portrayed such characters as 'Safta Zapta' and 'Clara the cleaning woman.' In 2005 she won th Best Actress Award at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival for her role in...
. The drama follows half a dozen very different characters through their lives in modern day Israel, giving Gitai an opportunity to comment on his country's top social issues.
The film received mixed reviews. Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
called it, "sexy, colorful, courageous and boldly entertaining," and the Village Voice called the director "Israel's one man new wave
French New Wave
The New Wave was a blanket term coined by critics for a group of French filmmakers of the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by Italian Neorealism and classical Hollywood cinema. Although never a formally organized movement, the New Wave filmmakers were linked by their self-conscious rejection of...
"; Stephen Holden of the New York Times stated: "There really isn't a likable character in the movie, which opens today in Manhattan. The filmmaker's jaundiced view of humanity is matched by his eye for the ugly".
Plot
Instead of written credits at the beginning of the film, Gitai reads out the credits, introduces himself to the viewer, and explains that Alila is based on the novel Returning Lost Love. The rest of the movie is made up of forty individual single shot scenes depicting the lives of several Israelis. The character's lives overlap and collide. Gabi, a bobbed haired sexpot, and her lover Hezi—who's older, balding and married—rent a room to have an affair, while Ezra, a pot bellied divorcee, supervises an illegal construction site next door. All this racket drives Schwartz, a Holocaust survivor, to a mental breakdownMental breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
. Other characters include illegal immigrants, a teenage boy who's afraid to serve in the army, and a corrupt police officer. In each scene the camera moves through walls, over desks, and around rooms in order to keep focused on the character it's following, in moments of drama as well as in moments of mudane daily activity.
Cast
- Yael AbecassisYael AbecassisYael Abecassis is an Israeli actress and model. She married Israeli actor Lior Miller in 1996 and has one child. They divorced in 2003. Abecassis is the daughter of Raymonde Abecassis, a Moroccan-born Israeli actress.- Career:...
- Gabi - Hanna LasloHanna LasloHanna Laslo is an Israeli actress and comedian.Laszlo rose to fame in the 1980s and 1990s in the wake of comedy routines in which she portrayed such characters as 'Safta Zapta' and 'Clara the cleaning woman.' In 2005 she won th Best Actress Award at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival for her role in...
- Mali - Ronit ElkabetzRonit ElkabetzRonit Elkabetz is an Israeli actress and filmmaker. She works in both Israeli and French cinema. She has won three Ophir Awards and has received a total of seven nominations.- Biography :...
- Ronit - Uri Klauzner - Ezra
- Amos Lavi - Hezi
- Lupo Berkowitch - Aviram
- Liron Levo - Ilan
- Yosef CarmonYosef CarmonYosef Carmon is an Israeli actor and theater director. Born in Poland in 1933, he arrived in Palestine in 1946. He studied acting in London, and participated in numerous Israeli films and plays; Carmon has been an actor at the Cameri Theater for over 50 years, participating in 40 plays, of them 17...
- Schwartz - Amit Mestechkin - Eyal
- Lyn Hsiao Zamir - Linda
- Tomer Russo - Officer
- Carmel Betto - Carmel
- Dalit Kahan - Sharon
- Kobi Zahavi - Kiosk owner
- Eyal Elhadad - Locksmith
Reception
Alila received mostly mixed reviews, with a score of 57 on Metacritic and a 41% "rotten" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film is said to have an "Altman-esque fabric" and a "Kiarostamian spirit"Some reviewers point to the film's political tone and social commentary about modern Israel. One reviewer goes so far as to compare Gitai to Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
. It's assumed that Gitai's film will resonate most with Israelis, but offer outsiders an intimate look at the nation.
Many reviews also comment on the sense of chaos in Gitai's film. Noisy people, their excitement and clamor, and the hop scotch from one story line to another creates a bustle in the film that's consistent throughout. Lewis Beale, of Film Journal International, writes, "It's a very Mediterranean atmosphere, in which everyone seems to love hard, hate with intensity and speak at the top of their lungs." This chaos, however, was not to all reviewers tastes. Peter Howell, of the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
simply stated that "It's a bit of a mess".
Awards
- Alila was nominated for two awards from the Israeli Film Academy in 2003:
Best Costume Design
Costume design
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
-- Laura Dinolesko
Best Supporting Actress-- Hana Laszlo
- Alila was nominated for one award from the Valladolid International Film Festival in 2003:
Golden Spike-- director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Amos Gitai
- Alila was nominated for one award from the Venice Film FestivalVenice Film FestivalThe Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
in 2003:
Golden Lion
Golden Lion
Il Leone d’Oro is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most distinguished prizes...
-- director Amos Gitai