I’ve been a bit hesitant to rent many independently released foreign language films recently. After my debacles with 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 days and Bamako, I started to second guess the festival awards and excessive critical praise that adorns the boxes of many of the movies I’ve never heard of at my local video store.
The Band’s Visit stood the risk of falling victim to my recent bias, sitting idly in the depths of my online Blockbuster queue, watching inferior movies pass it by and make their way to my mailbox. Thankfully for me, I was at the East Bay Blockbuster a few days ago, rushing to make an exchange because I had other errands to run, and grabbed this tremendous film because it was the first title I came across that was on my “must-watch” list.
The Band’s Visit chronicles an Egyptian police orchestra’s trip to Israel to play at the opening of an Arab cultural center. This trip is of particular importance because the word around the water cooler back in Alexandria is that the band may be the next casualty of the department’s tightening budget. Upon their arrival (in full uniform of course), a combination of language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and general miscommunication sends them on a bus to the outskirts of a small desert town that is clearly not where they are supposed to be. The band’s leader, Tewfiq, tries to appear unfazed by the situation and is determined to get the band to its show without calling home for help.
When the band makes it into town, they come across a small cafe where they manage to procure a meal, despite a shortage of Israeli money. After their meal, Dina, the cafe’s free spirited and sharp witted owner, informs them that there are no more buses leaving that day, so they will be stuck there until morning. Dina and the cafe’s other two employees agree to house the band for the night. What follows is a wonderfully crafted study of culture and communication.
The film does an exceptional job capturing the subtleties of human interaction as pairs of almost polar opposites are forced to spend the night side by side. Tewfiq, a proper and emotionally restrained man, agrees (out of politeness) to go for a night on the town with Dina, who seems determined to make Tewfiq feel awkward with her blatant lack of decorum. Haled, the band’s resident ladies’ man, uncomfortably positions himself as the fifth wheel on a double date with one of Dina’s employees who lacks any sense of how to interact with women.
The Band’s Visit has many awkward moments, but everything feels very true to life. There is a quiet humor in the movie that has been applied with an incredibly delicate touch. The best thing I can say about The Band’s Visit is that it feels more authentic than just about any movie I’ve seen in recent memory. The actors all do a terrific job of capturing the essence of their characters and their emotions all come across with stunning realism. The Band’s Visit isn’t something to watch if you’re looking for fast paced entertainment or cheap laughs, but if you’re interested in seeing an exceedingly well crafted movie, I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Related posts:
I liked this movie a lot more than I expected to. I was surprised by the subtle humor and really enjoyed it. Tewfiq was my favorite character. I just really wanted things to work out for him or give him a big or something haha