Ozzie and Harriet in Palestine.
(2009) Dramedy (IFC) Ali Suliman, Saleh Bakri, Elia Suleiman, Tarik Kopty, Menashe Noy, Maisa Abd Elhadi, Doraid Liddawi, Ziyad Bakri, Avi Kleinberger, Ehab Assal, Lutuf Nouasser, Yaniv Biton, Alon Leshem, Navi Ravitz, Amer Hiehel, George Khleifi, Tareq Qobti, Baher Agbariya, Zuhair Abu Hanna, Alex Bakn, Sanar Tanus, Shafika Bajjali, Lior Shamesh, Ayman Espanioli, Nina Jarjoura. Directed by Elia Suleiman
The third of a trilogy of films by the distinguished Palestinian director Suleiman regarding the Israeli occupation, The Time That Remains is listed as a drama but really isn’t; it has the deadpan delivery of a stone-faced Buster Keaton, an occasionally slapstick comic delivery but the overall tone is solemn and even funereal.
The movie Is delivered in four distinct kinda autobiographical vignettes bookended with Suleiman playing himself but focusing on his father (the movie is loosely based on his father’s journal entries and his mother’s letters to relatives and friends) who was a resistance fighter early on in the occupation, and often supplied and manufactured guns for Palestinian freedom fighters, although your definition of same may well depend on your stance towards Palestine vs. Israel.
Suleiman doesn’t paint the Israeli’s in a particularly flattering light but he isn’t terribly charitable to the Palestinians either; while the movie is certainly political in nature, his points are made subtly although so much so that it is often difficult to discern what he’s trying to say. As an actor, his performance is generally the most compelling of those seen here which are for the most part competent although there are some that rise above.
The middle portions which focus on Suleiman’s father Fuad (S. Bakri) with Suleiman himself played by Hanna as a child and Espanioli as a teenager tend to be slower paced and less effective; only when Suleiman enters the picture, first as the passenger in a cab ride that apparently is aimless, and later as an observer of Palestinian life when he returns to his home to care for his 80-year-old mother, does the movie truly have energy.
This isn’t necessarily for all moviegoers; it requires a certain amount of patience and an eye for subtlety, as well as a fair knowledge of what’s happening in the Middle East. As noted, your appreciation for the film will likely depend on your sympathies for the Palestinian people. Hawkish pro-Israeli viewpoints are likely to be affronted by the movie while those who don’t care much either way are likely to continue to do so. However, those curious about a differing viewpoint, or one taking the Palestinian view may find Suleiman to be a charming, quietly funny and occasionally heart-wrenching filmmaker and this to carry all of those qualities. Recommended.
WHY RENT THIS: Some compelling performances, especially Suleiman himself. A few heart-wrenching moments.
WHY RENT SOMETHING ELSE: Somewhat slow-paced, particularly in the middle.
FAMILY VALUES: Some violence, adult situations and language.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: Debuted at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
NOTABLE DVD EXTRAS: None listed.
BOX OFFICE PERFORMANCE: $1.0M on an unknown production budget.
SITES TO SEE: Netflix (DVD Rental only). Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, M-Go
COMPARISON SHOPPING: Life During Wartime
FINAL RATING: 7/10
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