sleemon-868-665974 Reviews

The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers (2013)

An interesting memoir by a well-place insider

[7/10 · 2 February 2014]

This film is the first part of a two-part adaptation of Yehuda Avner's bestselling memoir "The Prime Ministers: An Intimate Narrative of Israeli Leadership." Avner is a very well-placed source because he served as a speech writer, secretary, and adviser to four Israeli Prime Ministers — Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, and Menachem Begin. He later served in diplomatic posts such as Israel's Ambassador to Britain, Ireland and Australia.

As Israel has fought a number of wars since the founding of the state in 1948 its leaders have been tested more than most, and Avner was right there when decisions that were crucial to the future of the country were made. His stories about about the behind-the-scenes details of political events from 1948 through the Six Day war should be of interest of history buffs and those interested in the psychology of world leaders. The director's decision to supplement the historical footage and interviews with excerpts from speeches read by famous actors was an unfortunate one, however. Although Leonard Nimoy does a creditable job voicing prime minister Levi Eshkil, it's kind of difficult to get over the "Mr. Spock" effect. Sandra Bullock, on the other hand, makes a laughable Golda Meir.

Some critics have faulted or even dismissed the movie because it doesn't present a balanced view of the Arab-Israeli conflict. The film never pretends, however, to be anything other than a memoir of one man's personal experiences. He happens to be an Israeli, so naturally, the film reflects that viewpoint. If you don't like Israel or Israelis, don't go to see this film.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Watch and Learn

[9/10 · 23 December 2013]

The thing I liked best about Inside Llewyn Davis is that unlike most movies today, it doesn't put long expositive speeches in the mouths of its characters to explain exactly what's happened in the past, what's happening now, and what's going to happen in the next scene. We get inside Llewyn simply by watching him make his way in the world.

Many reviewers have remarked that Llewyn is his own worst enemy, or that he's an unpleasant character, but if you watch the movie carefully, you'll get an idea of why he is that way, and perhaps even feel a bit of sympathy. The Coens don't come out and tell you about Llewyn's family background, instead showing brief vignettes that allow you to come to your own conclusions about the family dynamic. And if you pay careful attention to what happens before each of Llewyn's outbursts, you'll see that he lashes out because he is hurting. He's yearning for the music to be something that lifts him above the tawdriness and disappointments of everyday life, but trying to make a living at it keeps dragging him down in the mud.

In short,like all art, Inside Llewyn Davis requires you to put some effort into the collaboration, and to think about what you are seeing and what it means. If you are so used to a movie experience in which you are spoon-fed explanations, you may just let the pictures pass by and conclude that there isn't much there. But if you take the trouble to think about why, for example, Llewyn's last version of "Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song)" is so different that the preceding ones, you may start to get inside Llewyn Davis.