Special to The Morning Star
Vernon Film Society’s next film will be Foxtrot May 7.
This Israel/Germany/France/Switzerland movie is directed by Samuel Maoz who won the Golden Lion for his entry of Lebanon in the 2009 Venice Film Festival and Grand Jury Prize in 2017 for this film.
It is a wrenching look at both the strength and the absurdity of military service from several points of view.
The film opens with parents Dafna (Sarah Adler) and Michael Feldman (Lior Ashkenazi) being told of the death of their son Jonathon (Yonatan Shiray) while stationed at a remote entry station. Their grief and horror at this news are contained in the somewhat claustrophobic setting of their apartment, and the audience sees them trying to cope with this devastating news and the subsequent condolences of family and bureaucrats.
Viewers are then taken to the actual army checkpoint that Jonathon was working at and see the young men trying to cope with boredom and surreal scenes of a camel wandering by, occasional passing of cars that need to be examined, the primitive living conditions and how they try to pass the long hours together.
The third part of the movie has a twist and brings everything full circle. A foxtrot is, of course, a dance that brings participants back to where they started.
Foxtrot has caused some controversy in Israel, but Maoz once again brings a powerful story, beautifully photographed and composed about the lunacy of war at its most immediate as well as its most far-reaching impacts. Ashkenazi especially has been praised for his portrayal of the grieving father and supporting actors also have received excellent reviews.
Foxtrot is routinely rated as four-star by reviewers from many different publications, including Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.
The film screens at the Vernon Towne Cinema May 7 at 5:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $7 cash and are available at the theatre and Bean Scene Coffee House one week ahead. Rated 14A. Subtitled.
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