FOXTROT
A man and his wife cope with grief after learning that their son died in the line of duty.
Director:
Samuel Maoz
Cast:
Lior Ashkenazi, Sarah Adler, Yonatan Shiray
Screenplay:
Samuel Maoz
Screening Date:
Feb 24, 2018
Studio:
Sony Pictures Classics
Running Time:
113 Minutes
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29.6% | 22.2% | 18.5% | 20.3% | 9.4% |
“War is real. Pray to never make split second decisions, no winners. And they want teachers to carry guns! Insane!”
“Beautiful, well done, excellent revealing of characters. Well constructed magnificent visuals. Lots of pain.”
“See this film again? I could barely sit through this the first time. Greek tragedy. The director’s wishful thinking. Israel’s taxpayers paid for that?”
“This was one of the most crafted films I have ever seen. It was an intriguing experience, ultimately as shattering to the viewers as any telling of a story could be. The acting was brilliant. The cinematography was phenomenal. Those overhead God’s eye view shots were so effective. Great piece of filmmaking.”
“Like its title, FOXTROT moves forward, to the side, and back. But it was way too much work deciphering what the heck its actual storyline was. I found it 99% manipulative and so skewed to what’s withheld and that directorial trick. Lots of fancy camerawork.”
“The photography was fantastic. Tension in the film was always present.”
“Tedious with obvious use of symbols.”
“I can only imagine the quilt that tore them apart. Powerful!”
“This is the future of filmmaking. The plot structure breaks all the rules – set up a situation and then twist it around, only to bring it back at the end. Sheer brilliance. But every shot was imbued with incredible eloquence and emotion. Can’t remember another film like it. Bravo!”
“I’m not sure what the strength of this movie is. I didn’t get the connections between the characters. There was very little chemistry or clarity. I don’t understand what motivated the characters. Were they good people or bad? Frivolous or ponderous? Full of love or isolation? I do know that anyone who kicks a dog is an asshole.”
“Wow! Stunning! Devastating!”
“The first half of the film was mesmerizing. The viewer is immersed in such a tragic and dramatic mysterious landscape where we don’t know what happened nor why, but we are drawn in waiting to learn. The later 2/3 of the film does not measure up to the beginning. It was too deliberate and plodding with a disappointing pay off.”
“This film is worthy of every award and then some. A simple story of one soldier – and one family’s trauma - brilliantly comments on the folly of war and the inevitable multiple tragedies.”
“Interesting subject sensitively told, but too slow and too long. Certainly touch on the unexpected and ironies of life.”
“A slow paced exploration of the ramifications of guilt and fate. It was a Greek Tragedy! What’s with all the overhead shots? An artistic work. Wonderful imagery. Great tension development. After thinking about it really excellent work. I can see why the Minister of Defense believes it is something that could be used against them.”
“Too slow!”
“The best looking men I’ve seen in a movie. Great dance scene. I didn’t know Jews could dance like that.”
“More overhead camera shots that I can fathom.”
“Foxtrot – a dance that goes nowhere is the ultimate metaphor for wars that - for all the gesturing and sidestepping - end up in the same place. The dance with the rifle was pure cinema and pure poetry.”
If you'd like to know more about the film...
Listen to this NPR piece on FOXTROT, where director SAMUEL MAOZ says the film "deals with the open wound or bleeding soul of Israeli society"
https://www.npr.org/2018/03/03/590229511/in-foxtrot-a-filmmaker-captures...
Read about why Nechama Rivlin, wife of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, isn't afraid to say she liked FOXTROT, despite disapproval from Culture Minister Miri Regev.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/despite-jerusalem-s-boycott-of-foxtr...
Check out this interview with director SAMUEL MAOZ, where he discusses the importance of the Foxtrot dance to the film, and gives an inside look on the mindset of the character Michael.
http://www.filmjournal.com/features/deadly-dance-samuel-maozs-foxtrot-ex...
Learn about the history and evolution of the Foxtrot dance.
