Who is the Audience for This Movie?

People who like “talky” movies.

What I Liked About This Movie

Usually when I see movies that note on the case that they won numerous film festivals and such I think it is either going to be a movie I will not like or a movie I will love. This movie is the first to break that way of thinking for me.

Tone wise this entire movie feels intentionally awkward which ends up lending more realism to the story. The almost iconic blue suites worn by the band members stick out like a sore thumb, furthering that tone. As you would expect in a movie solely based around its characters rather then its situation the character interaction is outstanding. It achieves what all character interaction should because it is engaging and self reflective.

All of the band members put up some solid acting but the band leader (shown in photo above) puts on a great performance. The whole movie you can tell he is completely dialed into the characters inner turmoil. It is no surprise that after I did a bit of checking it turns out he ended up winning the best actor award from the Israeli Film Academy.

What Didn’t Work For Me

There are no major plot points or completed character arcs in this movie. Taking into account I know it’s a movie about the moments the characters spend together I just felt something was missing that would have made the film have a bigger impact on me. As is stands it simply felt like a movie with great character interaction.

Should You Watch This Movie?

While a bit simplistic in terms of story The Band’s Visit is a great example of character development/interaction done right.

My Rating (Out of 13)