Lemon Tree

When a film dealing with this subject actually names a character 'Israel', you know that the subtlety and sophistication of its metaphor isn't very high. Lemon Tree moves at an annoyingly slow pace with some poor dialogue and cliches at times, although the central performance and photography are fairly strong. The ending is the film's best part, holding onto reality when it threatened to move into the unbelievable. Reminded me strangely of The Castle but with earnest politics and fewer jokes.

A simple story fairly well told, and invigorated by Abbass' stoic performance (reminding a little of GRAN TORINO); taken as political allegory it's too heavy-handed and simplistic, stretching its metaphors to breaking point at times. Picks up too many unrelated threads (the peculiar "romance" (I think?) that develops might have been interesting if it had been better focussed). Still an enjoyable, even quietly charming effort, especially for Abbass.

Unsubtle at times, and clumsy in its execution, but thankfully there's no cop-out ending. I found the romance really creepy for some reason.

Interesting story, solid film. Hiam Abbas is magic, as always.

Interesting as a symbolic example of how the Isreaeli-Palestinian situation on the individual level, with inherently different viewpoints as roots of unreconciliable conflict and forced absurd 'compromises' which solve nothing and prove only a lack of understanding of the issue. The acting is great, but the whole film's done as a step-by-step telling of a true but simple story and doesn't try to dwell into side-plots or explore more the similarities and differences between the antagonists.

I wasn't as convinced as I thought I would be. Basically it's a good film, but it didn't spellbind me, I'm afraid.

Big issues underlie this small film: the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the power of the state, and the rights of the individual. The director has compassion for all of the main characters, even though some of them make "wrong" moral decisions. I wished for a happy ending, a successful resolution of the central conflict. But as one character says, "Happy endings occur only in Hollywood films". The ending of the film is realistic rather than uplifting, downbeat but memorable.

#865 - 12 Ekim 08, 11:00am., emek sinemasi, filmekimi 08 & ilgi cekici bir hikaye. iyi oyunculuklar ve sonuc olarak israil- filistin iliskileri uzerine yurek burkan bir film...

"Riklis is ultimately unable to center his attention on any one of its multiple fissures and reflexively allows Lemon Tree to rest on its aura of subliminal female solidarity." - Ryan Stewart

Well-intentioned but incredibly disappointing. The premise itself is impossible; a DM wouldn't move next to a Palestinian home right on the green line, and if he did there'd be no legalistic qualms about removing trees. As if that's not enough, the film goes on to shun authenticity completely in favor of schmaltzy, thoroughly formulaic melodrama. Despite its observance of convention, the plot is a shambling mess of holes, loose ends and obstinate repetitions, and characters are poorly developed.

A lovely movie about a Palestinian woman whose lemon grove becomes a threat to (Israel's) national security when the Israeli Defence Minister moves in across the road. She finds a lawyer to help her to take her appeal against the trees' destruction to the Supreme Court. Personally I could have done without the love interest, but nobody asks for my opinion.