Modest to a fault, the introverted family drama Tehilim circles an unsolved mystery and unresolved emotions.
Tehilim (2007)
Runtime: 1 hr 36 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Reviews
Imagine a Jewish L’Avventura without any of the profound existential rumination, troubling emotional ennui or unnervingly seductive filmmaking, and a picture will form of this well-intentioned but ultimately simplistic tale of loss.
Indifferently shot and only competently acted, Tehilim derives its emotional force from the inchoate spiritual torment that the older son suffers.
Despite an interesting premise and a good background (contempo Jerusalem), this is a dull, frustrating family melodrama, the weakest of the 3 Israeli films shown in 2007 Cannes Film Festival; the other two are Jellyfish and The Band's Visit.
The cast is superb, the direction flawless, and the film unmistakably consequential.
Exploring unresolved loss with docu-like veracity, this intimate, disturbing tale will prove more frustrating than enlightening for many viewers, despite its conversation-sparking premise.


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