Review: The Band’s Visit

Posted by Nathan Deen (nathan@filmschoolrejects.com) on May 4, 2008

The Band’s Visit is a small independent film from Israel with a lot of heart. It’s smart, honest, and humorous. The premise is simple but the characters are complex. It tells the story of an Egyptian police band from Alexandria that is invited to play at a concert in Israel but find themselves lost in the wrong town. Although, we don’t get to know every member as much as we would like (there’s just not enough time to do so), the one’s we do know stay with us because surprisingly, the characters are easy to relate to as are their situations. The most rewarding thing about The Band’s Visit is that it doesn’t use a predictable plot that involves these men going through an ordeal to get to their concert and forming a sense of camaraderie along the way. Instead they are rather provided the opportunity to do a little individual soul searching.

Writer/director Eran Kolirin’s first shot of the film shows a van. As it drives away we see the band that was hidden behind it, lined horizontally and each member wearing sky blue uniforms. It becomes clear early about which of the characters will be focused upon the most. The leader is Lieutenant-colonel Tawfig Zacharya (Sasson Gabai) and at first glance it would appear that he has no personality. He’s a martinet that demands his men’s best behavior. Outside of giving orders, he’s a taciturn individual. Then there’s the contentious, sarcastic new guy, Khaled (Saleh Bakri).

While at an airport, Tawfig orders Khaled to get directions to their destination, but Khaled gets the town their suppose to go to confused with another. The town they wind up in is more like a village. They find a local café and ask the owner, Dina (Ronit Elkabetz), for directions. She tells them they are in the wrong place. There is no hotel available to stay in and a bus isn’t scheduled to come until morning, so Dina and a couple of her regular customers offer to let the band stay in their apartments for the night. Tawfig and Khaled end up spending the night at Dina’s place.

This starts a series of long, drawn out scenes of conversations filled with wonderful dialogue, reminiscent to those found in Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. Dina is very loquacious and tries to learn about these two men, only to get brief, decorous responses. Tawfig reluctantly agrees to accompany Dina to get something to eat, since there is nothing better to do. Meanwhile, Khaled hits what little nightlife the town has to offer and becomes the odd man out on a double date.

The best scene in the movie, well the first of two actually, comes when Tawfig and Dina are getting to know each other a little better. The acting here is top-notch. I would imagine that these are the types of scenes that are among the most difficult for actors. They have to let their words flow realistically, as well as their reactions, and Elkabetz and Tawfig speak as if there’s isn’t even a camera around them. Tawfig is very restrained about his past and emotions, but Dina is slowly able to bring them to the surface. It’s not that they have a lot in common, but they’ve somehow built a sense of chemistry. Eventually, Dina reveals details about her ex-husband while Tawfig explains about his beloved deceased wife and son (this later plays a part in his relationship with the young Khaled).

I don’t tell you that to spoil anything. A movie like this is exempt from spoilers. There is no groundbreaking narration tactics to be found here, rather by the end the viewer is left to think about what each character has learned from a night that wasn’t suppose to happen. I tell you about this scene because I related to it a lot. I’ve been in a couple of situations (and I’m sure a lot of us have) in which I had an intimate conversation with someone who I had just met. Our time together was ephemeral, but by the end I felt like I knew a lot about them. But, I never saw them again after that.

So yes, I would describe The Band’s Visit as very accurate to what happens in real life and the scene I’m discussing should be among the most realistic that I see all year. Foreign directors are usually hard to follow, but we should at least try to keep an eye on first timer Eran Kolirin. Walking into the film, I expected a comedy in the style of Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It’s always a joy to find a talent that can take a simple idea, expand upon it, turn away from the plot 9 out 10 other writers would have chosen and surprise you.

Read more articles by Nathan Deen