Strangers in a foreign land and they are strangers to the acquaintance, gatherings and new people. There is nothing kinetic about “The Band’s Visit” and there is nothing conclusive about it either, in a pure sense of the generic film terms defined. Rather it is kinetic in the body language and expressions. The reaction when a character says something or the glance or motion is the driving force in a considerably well paced film from the Israeli director Eran Kolirin.Alexandria Ceremonial Orchestra is the life line for its leader Lieutenant Colonel Tawfiq Zacharya (Sason Gabhai) and he stresses the name of the band with stubbornness even when he and his crew are in an estranged nowhere land in Israel. They are from Egypt scheduled to play in an Arab culture center in Petah Tiqva. A communication breakdown along with a flirtation by band’s young member Khaled (Saleh Bakri) lands them in another place called Beit Hatikva. Hence they are in a position to spend the night.
They are looked upon goofy due to their blue coloured attire. The town amounts to three people at first glance. A lonely restaurant owner Dina (Roni Elkabetz), Papi (Shlomi Avraham) who works there and the only regular customer Itzik (Rubi Muskovitz) and after a dubious welcome, Dina considerate enough and also to see a man of nicety in Tawfiq offers to help. Khaled and Tawfiq the opposites stay with her while some with Itzhik and rest in the restaurant. The awkwardness and the communication through it are taken the space of character study in the film.
The deserted town is a center stage. The people in it are drenched in the daily routine of nothingness are subconsciously are excited to see the band. Not an Israeli but total outsiders with a language barrier. Thankfully some of them who are in need of a listener or obligation manage with broken English. There is friction or almost an enmity between Tawfiq and Khaled. Tawfig an old timer cannot tolerate the indiscipline fun the youngster pursues. Khaled despises Tawfiq equally as the bureaucratic force in the band. But Khaled translates the moves and message of Dina to Tawfiq. They are obviously separated by principles and generation but the urge for a truce in disagreement is some where out there. Either party will not accept their defeat in ego.
While Dina takes out Tawfiq, Khaled being a womanizer convinces Papi to take him to the club. Papi in very minimal time knows the threat he is going to pose with a once in a blue moon date he gets. There is a sweet comic moment with Khaled ending up teaching the techniques in getting along with Papi’s girl. That is comedic, a bit of sadness on Papi and also the girl while Khaled’s selfless gesture comes in light. We see the interaction of the second in command in the band consistently been suppressed Simon (Khalifa Natour). He dines with two of his other band mates with the family of Itzik. There is a moment to cherish in sadness, melancholy and emptiness with him and the family represented by his music.
The film while sluggish in its movement is dry, bright and dull as the town. It has these people in certain expectation of the day to be exactly as it is business as usual and numb. The visit of the band may be the only time their life has a bit of change. It is not an exciting film but a perusal of a known painting. We seem to understand the colour and the representation. But as we spend some time with it, we begin to see the thickness of the borderlines and the intensity of colour used. It may not help in giving out extra meaning but closeness with it gets generated than before.
Roni Elkabetz as Dina is astonishingly lively. She carries a certain command. While the men in the band and her town mates have an air of separation with Tawfiq, she has no problem in taking him out of his comfort zone and is desperate fight to get some form of signal. There is a resolving moment in the end for both of them which as the smile of Tawfiq explains the actions of him and her.
Sasson Gabai as Tawfiq is the face of responsibility, nicety and discipline. He is an old timer who follows courtesy and accepting courtesy as a rule book. He is what the ladies would call the perfect gentleman but a man with a hard shell around him. Easing him up becomes an unattainable mission but Dina cracks it, may be a hairline. This film while did not grab me or move me with an emotion is a corky sullen comedy entertaining and artistic in its arena.
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