The Band's Visit
2007, Comedy/Drama, 1h 26m
119 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat to know
The Band's Visit is both a clever, subtle slice-of-life comedy, and poignant cross-cultural exploration. Read critic reviews
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The Band's Visit Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Tawfiq
Dina
Haled
Simon
Itzik
Avrum
News & Interviews for The Band's Visit
Critic Reviews for The Band's Visit
All Critics (119) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (117) | Rotten (2)
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November 18, 2011 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
A witty, elegant and deeply affecting film.
July 10, 2008 | Rating: 4.5/5 | Full Review… -
What matters is the sense of exhilaration you take away with you.
July 10, 2008 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
The Band's Visit has pathos, but it is also very funny.
April 13, 2008 | Full Review… -
Like no fish-out-of-water film in recent memory, it leaves you with the hope that these fish will find their way back to water, and maybe learn to share that puddle before the desert dries it up entirely.
April 11, 2008 | Rating: 5/5 -
Kolirin has a fine sense of where to place the camera and when to cut between shots for maximum comic effect.
March 14, 2008 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for The Band's Visit
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Nov 07, 2011A trip to Israeli nowheresville by a minor Egyptian civic band is an occasion for a interesting little filmic investigation into what forces make us all tick. Everyone expects trouble ... and are pleasantly disappointed. Slowly budding revelation sparkles like light on a pond across the faces of this cast of unknowns.Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
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Aug 12, 2011It was a movie that almost felt ashamed of itself, but in a good/weird way. It was the opposite of dramatic or flashy, but kept you captivated anyway. I liked it!Sarah P Super Reviewer
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Jun 09, 2011A touching and considered slice of life that's kind of like those small-town-in-the-Midwest movies where everyone's in pain, except it happens in the Israeli desert, and the new guys in town are a police band from Egypt. A lean film, but one that still takes its time, and one that was well lauded on the festival circuit. Definitely worth a look - reminded me of Wim Wenders for no obvious reason.Daniel P Super Reviewer
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Jan 14, 2010<i>"Once-not long ago-a small Egyptian police band arrived in Israel. Not many remember this...It wasn't that important."</i> A band comprised of members of the Egyptian police force head to Israel to play at the inaugural ceremony of an Arab arts center, only to find themselves lost in the wrong town. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> 'The Band's Visit' is a cinematic breath of fresh air in a market overwrought with cine dreck. It tells the story of an Egyptian Police band that has gone over to Israel for a concert at an Arab cultural centre, only to find that they have ended up in the wrong town. In a period of 24 hours, they manage to establish friendships among some of the town's off beat residents. It shows that despite cultural differences between Arabs and Jews, they manage to (for the most part) rise above prejudices and make the most of an awkward situation. Major kudos to the film's writer/director for forging a finely tuned story, as well as a cast to act out their parts equally well. This film may remind you at times of some of the tongue in cheek comedies of Aki Kaurismaki.Lorenzo v Super Reviewer
The Band's Visit Quotes
| Itzik: | You know, maybe this is how your concerto ends. I mean, not a big end with trumpets and violin. Maybe this is the finish, just like that suddenly.Not sad, not happy, just a small room with a lamp, abed,a child sleeps, and tons of loneliness. |
| Tawfiq: | It's the sound of water and waves, and distant children playing on the beach, and the sound of the bait falling in the water. In the early hours at sea you can hear the whole world like, like a symphony. |
| Tawfiq: | Music today is not that important anymore. |
| Dina: | What do you mean? |
| Tawfiq: | Well, people today care about other things, money, efficiency, worth. |
| Dina: | People are stupid, aren't they? |
| Tawfiq: | Yes, they are sometimes. |
| Haled: | Aren't we going to eat today? I did not join the police to starve to death. And anyhow, I'm not really sure that you know where we're going. |
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