Cedar has a lovely sense of humor and sharp writing skills, presenting moments that are moving and funny at the same time. If you think the ending is a complete cop-out, you clearly need to see it again: I think of a bygone era where nothing was spelled but you could just read it in a person's eyes. Such is the case with "Footnote".

Overrated. Though it has some fine performances and characters with enough psychological depth to be somewhat interesting, it's story and message are quickly forgotten.

Very good movie from a great, clever screenplay.

This is the first movie I've ever seen made in Israel. I thought it was a pretty good movie. I really liked all the actors in it and it had a cool story but sadly the ending was a letdown. The story follows a father and son who are both great academics in their field of study. A big award called the Israel Award is given out every year and by mistake the father is given the award when it is supposed to go to the son. Of course this leads to a lot of confusion and animosity between everyone.

A far cry in style and theme from Cedar's previous film, the war drama Beaufort. Footnote is a tragicomedy with a laugh-out-loud funny first act, and a heartrendingly moving finale. While strikingly original, the subject of Talmudic scholarship and surrounding academic politics might scare prospective audiences but shouldn't. The riveting acting rendered by Cedar in close-ups (taking a note from Autumn Sonata?), the tastefully energetic cinematography and the brilliant text keep it engrossing.

The messy, uneven first half with its needlessly flashy, rather clumsy way of introducing character backgrounds and its bombastic and distracting score gives way to a compelling second act where the finer points of father-son relationship/rivalry are brought to sharper focus. Excellent performances from the two leads.

"Joseph Cedar's Footnote is a sour, rather unpleasant affair that hinges on acts of Jews behaving badly." - Andrew Schenker

I found nothing humorous about Cedar's tale of ambition and disappointment, though it's intended to be a comedy. The beautiful disappointment conveyed in the two lead's faces, the themes of familial estrangement and shame, and the pitiful ambitions for which men reach are, to me, the things of great drama, and I only wish Cedar had played the whole thing with a straighter tone.

Footnote is a very touching, pretty and good film.