Foxtrot **** (2017, Lior Ashkenazi, Sarah Adler, Yonaton Shiray) – Movie Review 

Writer-director Samuel Maoz’s masterful family war drama is imaginatively, often brilliantly staged. Even though the film does not finally quite bowl you over, it has some knockout sequences that can certainly bowl you over. Despite its polished visuals, and flawless performances, it is not an easy watch, as it deals – gracefully – in extreme emotional pain and life’s horrible ironies.

Lior Ashkenazi and Sarah Adler star as troubled Israeli parents Michael and Daphna Feldmann, who are informed that their son Jonathan (Yonathan [Yonaton] Shiray) has been killed on active duty at his desolate military post. And this is only the start of their troubles.

Despite the agonising start and finish at the parents’ home, the film’s wildly imaginative semi-surreal middle act is the finest. We seem to be in Waiting for Godot territory. Or is it Catch-22? At the head of the cast, Ashkenazi gives a brilliant, beautiful performance as a man emotionally tortured beyond belief, desperately trying to deal with his family and the military representatives arranging the funeral.

The Foxtrot title and metaphor seems strangely obvious and clumsy for such a subtle, intelligent movie, no matter how appropriate. Admittedly, it is catchy and to the point, though. Has Samuel Maoz been watching the films of Alfred Hitchcock? Some of his shots seem to be taken from there, especially the high shots looking down on the characters from what be the ceiling’s point of view if the obviously studio sets had a ceiling. It’s very interesting, and it’s very stylish.

It is Israel’s submission for the Foreign Language Film Award of the 90th Annual Academy Awards.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Movie Review 

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