Critic Rating
(read reviews)User Rating
Director
Elia Suleiman
Cast
Saleh Bakri,
Elia Suleiman,
Amer Hlehel,
Ali Suliman,
Menashe Noy,
Ayman Espanioli
Genre
Drama,
History
This semi-biographical film depicts the creation of the state of Israel from 1948 through to the present day. The daily lives of the Palestinians who remained and were labelled "Israeli-Arabs," living as a minority in their own homeland, are examined. A timely and timeless film full of comedy and a quiet, righteous fury.
IndieWire by Eric Kohn
Suleiman's most poignant moments are largely wordless. Nothing feels more affecting than Suleiman's ubiquitous frozen stare. Although he never utters a sound, his silence speaks volumes about the inability to resolve the social ramifications of Middle Eastern strife.
The A.V. Club by Noel Murray
By making the jokes more personal, Suleiman charts the process by which the concept of "home" loses its meaning.
The New Yorker by Anthony Lane
This is typical Suleiman, as anyone who saw his no less wondrous work "Divine Intervention" (2002), can testify.
The New York Times by A.O. Scott
The Time That Remains has the scope of a historical epic with none of the expected heaviness.
Village Voice
Suleiman's a more assured director than he is a comedian. But individual, Tati-worthy gags still have great power.
Variety by Derek Elley
As in "Divine," there's an uneven quality to Suleiman's often surreal ideas, but in general there are way more hits than misses this time round, some of them laugh-out-loud.
Time Out by Joshua Rothkopf
Suleiman can be criticized for failing, ever so slightly, at crafting an overall structure-his latest, based on his dad's diary and other memories, is an autobiographical story of exile and return that skips like a stone over water, fleetly but not so deeply. Still, this is a welcome example of kitsch wedded to serious indictment.
Empire by David Parkinson
A touching and insightful black comedy that gracefully spans sixty years.
Village Voice by Dan Kois
Suleiman's a more assured director than he is a comedian. But individual, Tati-worthy gags still have great power.
New York Post by V.A. Musetto
Don't expect guffaw-inducing comedy, but rather deadpan humor in the style of Buster Keaton and Jacques Tati.
San Francisco Chronicle by Walter Addiego
Some of the movie probably will mystify viewers not steeped in Middle Eastern history and culture, but a good deal of the humor can be appreciated by anybody.
Boxoffice Magazine by Mark Keizer
Blend of sardonic humor and bitter poetry.
New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman
Unfortunately, the stylistic repetition and intensely one-sided viewpoint only undermine his (Suleiman) goal.
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