A stimulating cinematic experience in every sense.
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01/23/04
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The Holy Land (2003)
53
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:53
Fresh:28
Rotten:25
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: This messy coming-of-age tale is of interest only because of where the story takes place.
Theatrical Release:Jul 11, 2003 Limited
Synopsis: Mendy (Oren Rehany) is a young man living in Bnei Brak, Israel, struggling to keep his mind focused on rabbinical school. His family is supportive of him, and they realize that adolescence involves... [More]
Starring: Saul Stein, Tchelet Semel, Albert Illuz, Arie Moskuna
Director: Eitan Gorlin
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Reviews for The Holy Land
A bit of a mess.
11/01/03
Top CriticAlthough the narrative hiccups in The Holy Land can be chalked up to the mistakes of a beginning filmmaker, they are not disruptive enough to diminish the film’s realistic impact.
10/01/03
Click to read the article
07/10/03
Too many characters, each too quickly drawn, hobble the film's momentum.
11/21/03
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12/02/03
The flat dialogue and cardboard characters often undercut any social points that Gorlin seems on the verge of scoring.
12/04/03
The things these characters say to one another, the fakery in their interactions, deflates scene after scene.
07/24/03
The acting and directing are uneven, but many scenes have strong emotional and political power.
07/10/03
Terrific acting, an intriguing plot and a setting ripe with drama, violence and uncertainty make this an engrossing hour and a half.
07/11/03
This iconoclast's interpretation of Israeli society will shock only the most naive of observers.
06/10/03
Gorlin has a keen sense of the country's geography, and this sense of place goes a long way toward making up for rather thin characterizations.
08/15/03
Top CriticGorlin lacks a coherent recipe for his savory ingredients.
09/12/03
Gorlin supposedly based this material on some of his own experiences in Israel, but it still seems overly familiar.
10/24/03
A surprisingly poignant coming-of-age tale about a Yeshiva student's soul-searching walk on the wild side.
09/20/03
It's a fascinating -- and at times moving -- account of a seldom-seen slice of Jerusalem life.
07/11/03
The Holy Land seems to embody a lot of desperate yearning and searching, but achieves only some answers. Still, a modestly successful screen debut for filmmaker and young actor alike.
08/05/03
The Holy Land's plot has too much going on, with no threads satisfactorily developed or resolved.
07/01/03
Forgettable and rather amateurish.
07/07/03
This film is truly fresh and exciting. For those of you looking for something new, you’d be wise to check this one out.
07/08/03
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