GETT: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

2015

GETT: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

Critics Consensus

On paper, GETT: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem might seem less than thrilling, but on the screen, it delivers two hours of nonstop, tightly wound, brilliantly acted drama.

100%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 77

81%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 4,817
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Movie Info

An Israeli woman (Ronit Elkabetz) seeking to finalize her divorce from her cruel and manipulative husband finds herself effectively put on trial by her country's religiously-based marriage laws, in this riveting drama from sibling directors Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz (Late Marriage and The Band's Visit) who is also one of Israeli cinema's most acclaimed actresses. In Israel there is neither civil marriage nor civil divorce; only rabbis can legalize a marriage or its dissolution, which is only possible with the husband's full consent. Viviane Amsalem has been applying for a divorce for three years but her husband Elisha (Simon Ebkarian of Casino Royale and Persepolis), will not agree. His cold intransigence, Viviane's determination to fight for her freedom, and the ambiguous role of the judges shape a procedure in which tragedy vies with absurdity, and where everything is brought out for judgment, apart from the initial request. (C) Music Box Films

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Cast

Ronit Elkabetz
as Viviane
Menashe Noy
as Carmel
Simon Abkarian
as Elisha
Sasson Gabay
as Shimon
Eli Gornstein
as Main Judge
Gabi Amrani
as Clerk
Rami Danon
as 1st Deputy
Roberto Pollack
as 2nd Deputy
Dalia Malka Beger
as Donna
Albert Iluz
as Meir
Selektar Avrahram
as Shmuel
Keren Mor
as Galia
Evelin Hagoel
as Evelyn
Ruby Porat Shoval
as Rachel
Shmil Ben Ari
as Ya'akov
David Ohayon
as David
Ze'ev Revach
as Simo
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Critic Reviews for GETT: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

All Critics (77) | Top Critics (25)

  • It's tough and unsparing, but the grimness is never gratuitous.

    Apr 9, 2015 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

    John Hartl

    Seattle Times
    Top Critic

  • Ultimately the movie is wearying, but then it's likely supposed to be. If Viviane's going through the wringer, you're going through the wringer too.

    Apr 3, 2015 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

    Tom Long

    Detroit News
    Top Critic

  • Shot in intense close-ups, the better to study the emotions burning off the characters' skin, the film is all talk and gestures, but it begins to take your breath away like a chase movie would.

    Mar 20, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

    Steven Rea

    Philadelphia Inquirer
    Top Critic

  • A microcosm of women victimized by patriarchal institutions worldwide as well as an allegory of the universal struggle for freedom.

    Mar 19, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

    Peter Keough

    Boston Globe
    Top Critic

  • As Viviane laments, this kind of thing wouldn't happen in America. True, but there's not an actress in America who wouldn't twist her hair into a bun for the chance to play this role.

    Mar 19, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

    Joe Williams

    St. Louis Post-Dispatch
    Top Critic

  • Suspenseful, wonderfully acted, emotionally jarring.

    Mar 12, 2015 | Rating: 4/4 | Full Review…

    John Anderson

    Newsday
    Top Critic
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Audience Reviews for GETT: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

  • Oct 09, 2015
    An infuriating look into a misogynist, patriarchal society/legal system dominated by outrageous religious values that force women to be in a position of submission and humiliation before their husbands - which is something that seems inevitable in a theocratic state like Israel.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Apr 03, 2015
    Three years after having separated from her husband Elisha(Simon Abkarian), Viviane(Ronit Elkabetz, who co-wrote and co-directed with Shlomi Elkabetz) wants a divorce. However, that is not as easy as it sounds, as she discovers when she is joined by her lawyer Carmel(Menashe Noy) in rabbinical court. First, she is told by the judges to move back in with her husband. When that does not work out, they return to court where Elisha is very uninterested in showing up again. When he does return to court months later, it is with his brother Shimon(Sasson Gabay), a rabbi, and is still not wanting to give his wife a divorce. So, witnesses are called. If done right, courtroom dramas can explore any number of hot button issues. As such, "Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem" is the best one in a long time in not only being a powerful examination of how hard it is for a woman to be granted a divorce in Orthodox Judaism, but also bringing it expertly down to a personal level, as led by a stunning performance from Ronit Elkabetz. Then, through a series of side stories told by the witnesses, the viewer can see that Viviane's case is not an isolated one.(Currently, there are people facing criminal charges for physically intimidating recalcitrant husbands in cases like these.) Overall, the movie's limited location of the courthouse also serves to claustrophobically illustrate her precarious position.
    Walter M Super Reviewer
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