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Israel · 2018
1h 52m
Director Avi Nesher
Starring Joy Rieger, Yuval Segal, Sasson Gabai, Maya Dagan
Genre Drama
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Two rebellious young women- one is fleeing secular hedonism for the disciplined comforts of faith; the other desperate to transcend her religious upbringing for sexual and spiritual freedom - cross paths unexpectedly in Jerusalem, to startling consequences. As the characters clash, the views they hold dear also embody the struggle for identity in present-day Israel.
Nesher skillfully balances a lot of characters and storylines, each illustrating a different kind of Israeli and a different connection to Jewish life, culture, and practice, but he never lets any of them become symbolic rather than real.
The screenplay, co-written by Nesher and psychology professor Noam Shpancer, feels well-researched, poignantly highlighting the little things parents do that unintentionally traumatize their children. It also brims with the snappy dialogue that Nesher’s films are known for.
The wider themes of the film grow more evident through individual elements in which nobody is prepared to listen to the other side of the story, or try to understand a different point of view.
The New York Times by Ben Kenigsberg
The surfeit of subplots muddles the message.
Through this endless string of undercooked subplots, Avi Nesher’s film continually trips over itself.
The Hollywood Reporter by Frank Scheck
Diluting its powerful themes with overcooked melodrama and unnecessarily distracting subplots, The Other Story would have benefited from a simpler, more direct approach.
San Francisco Chronicle by G. Allen Johnson
Especially terrific is Rieger, who is a 25-year-old rising star in Israel. She displays a fierce intensity and an appealing vulnerability, and here’s betting that if she chose to, she could follow Gal Gadot’s path from Israel to Hollywood stardom.
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
More popular melodrama than the usual exercise in high art, it whipsaws us with so many unexpected passions and surprising events that holding on to your seat is strongly recommended.
How can you save someone, who won't save herself?