gaiadam933 Review of Footnote

Footnote (2011)

Hearat Shulayim (Footnote): About a hard fight for introducing a noted foot in the Academic track

[25 June 2011]

The film directed and written by Joseph Cedar brings to light some of the dirty clothes in the Academic world by making emphasis on the personal flaws of two professors of Talmud, father and son, ensnared by their attempt to seize "the word of the Authority" that will bestow them power, recognition, respect and, above all, satisfaction to their needs of self-assurance. In the story, those who are in charge of delivering to one of them the good news that he has won Prize Israel in his field, commit a tragic error owing to the fact that father and son have the same initials in their names. The misunderstanding reveals more than ever the envy, jealousy, and pitiless competition that reigns between the two, and not only between them. In the struggle for a prestigious place in the academic map, the ones that believe they are the best and the ones that are carried to believe themselves so, don't spare means to pull their rivals out of the way. A playful music and comic situations contribute to free the story from an expected somber atmosphere. In some scenes the rhythm of the movie is decaying due to excessive enlarged discourse. On the other hand, Cedar shows his virtues in the management of actors, choosing with the camera the adequate angles and distances for obtaining the most appropriate expressions and gestures from his excellent cast. The use of real sceneries of the Academy in Jerusalem City adds to the tone of authenticity of the story. The very old myth of father devouring his son returns in an Israeli representative version.