We’ve long been conditioned to expect that any movie from the Middle East will deal with the ongoing conflict in that region, so the first refreshing thing about the Israeli film The Band’s Visit is that it contains not a single mention of the tensions between Arabs and Jews. This is in spite of a concept that has the two groups collide head-on: An Egyptian police band comes to Israel to play at the opening of an Arab cultural center, but a mix-up sends them to the wrong town. Stuck in the middle of nowhere, the musicians have no choice but to befriend and rely on the locals until they’re able to take the next bus to where they need to be.
Writer-director Kolirin gives a decidedly low-key account of the evening that the band members spend in the town of Bet Hatikva. Group leader Tewfiq (Gabai) bonds awkwardly with sad but vibrant divorcee Dina (Elkabetz), while headstrong young recruit Khaled (Bakri) helps a shy young man put the moves on a girl at the local roller rink, and three others partake in an uncomfortable family dinner in the midst of a crumbling marriage. There are no big moments or startling revelations, and everyone leaves pretty much the way they arrived. But the moments in between are often quietly beautiful, especially in the cautious rapport between Tewfiq and Dina.
Elkabetz is splendid as the woman who has almost unknowingly let life pass her by, stuck alone in a small town with faded dreams of bigger things she can no longer pursue. She sees in Tewfiq a kindred soul, although his sadness and loneliness comes from things he had once, and lost. The other two plot threads are sweet but not quite as emotionally resonant, although they complement each other nicely.
While no one talks about the strained relations between their two cultures, the effort to bridge the gap is always lurking in the background. Given how well the characters manage, it’s easy to imagine that the entire situation could be resolved if only the Alexandria Police Orchestra could visit every little town in Israel.
The Band’s Visit
*** 1/2
Sasson Gabai, Ronit Elkabetz, Saleh Bakri
Directed by Eran Kolirin
Rated PG-13