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Bethlehem

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Israel, Germany, Belgium · 2013
1h 39m
Director Yuval Adler
Starring Yossi Eini, Tsahi Halevi, George Iskander, Tarik Kopty
Genre Drama, Thriller

The film explores the complex relationship between an Israeli secret service officer, Razi, and a young Palestinian informant, Sanfur. Razi recruited Sanfur to spy on the boy's neighbors and most importantly, his brother, a leader of the al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigades, a coalition of armed Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank.

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63

Slant Magazine by

In the end, the film's misstep isn't some failure at being sufficiently morally gray. In being the thriller that it is, it smudges the palette beyond recognition.

65

NPR by Bob Mondello

Bethlehem qualifies as a promising debut for its first-time actors and director, but it's slack at first, and the thriller tricks it uses to ratchet up the tension later — musical underscoring, careening vehicles, threatening crowds — keep it from sneaking past your defenses.

60

Time Out by Joshua Rothkopf

Densely plotted by director Yuval Adler and Ali Wakad (the former Israeli, the latter Palestinian), this informant crime drama finds admirable complexity in the folds of its shifting allegiances — even if you’ve seen this dynamic done better in movies like "The Departed."

70

Variety by Leslie Felperin

The film comprises an impressive directorial debut for Adler who demonstrates a confident grasp of pace, place and thesp handling.

83

The A.V. Club by Mike D'Angelo

Superficially similar to Hany Abu-Assad’s Oscar-nominated Omar, it’s a considerably more complex and nuanced examination of the conflicted loyalties and dangerous relationships that characterize daily life in the Middle East, featuring remarkably strong, charismatic performances by a host of mostly non-professional actors.

90

The Dissolve by Noah Berlatsky

In a spy story, Bethlehem insists, there are no good guys or bad guys, and no victor—just day-in, day-out deceit and betrayal, the weary work of hate.

60

The Telegraph by Robbie Collin

You’re left wishing that Adler had focused more on the no-win moral tangle of the handler-informant relationship, and less of the mechanics of its execution.

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