Time of Favor (2002)

Synopsis: Orthodox Jewish writer-director Joseph Cedar tells a story of romance and intrigue on an Israeli settlement on the West Bank in TIME OF FAVOR. Menachem (Aki Avni) is a deeply religious young man and a superb soldier. Thanks in part to the influence of Rabbi Meltzer (Assi Dayan), Menachem gets... Orthodox Jewish writer-director Joseph Cedar tells a story of romance and intrigue on an Israeli settlement on the West Bank in TIME OF FAVOR. Menachem (Aki Avni) is a deeply religious young man and a superb soldier. Thanks in part to the influence of Rabbi Meltzer (Assi Dayan), Menachem gets the chance to create his own elite Orthodox unit for the Israeli army. Menachem also has a quiet crush on the rabbi's daughter, Michal (Tinkerbell). He and Michal are both distraught when the rabbi tries to arrange Michal's marriage to his best Yeshiva student, Pini (Edan Alterman), who is also Menachem's friend. Michal is a fiercely independent young woman, who resents her father's devotion to "Greater Israel" at the expense of his family. The situation gets far more complicated when Menachem is implicated in a fanatical plot to blow up the Dome of the Rock, the mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Cedar has created a moving romantic drama with elements of a tense political thriller, all captured against the beautiful backdrop of the Judean hills. Avni and Tinkerbell deliver nuanced and graceful performances. The film subtly extols the virtues of devout faith, while condemning religious and political fanaticism. [More]