The Band's Visit (2007)

aka: Bikur Ha-Tizmoret

Comedy / Drama

1 hr. 26 min.

An Egyptian band heads to Israel for a gig, but they hardly expect to be stuck in a mess -- the result being unseen tension and oddities all around.

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language

Directed by: Eran Kolirin

Starring: Saleh Bakri, Khalifa Natour, Ronit Elkabetz, Rubi Moscovich, Imad Jabarin

Theatrical Release Date: 2/08/2008

Release Type: NY/LA

U.S. Box Office: $3,053,823

Video/DVD Release Date: 7/29/2008

Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics

Country: Israel / France / USA

Language: Arabic / English / Hebrew

Offsite: IMDB | Official Site

CRITIC	RATING	QUOTE
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert	9	...has also shown us two souls with rare beauty.
Chicago Tribune Jessica Reaves	7	...for its political idealism, or you can watch it for entertainment value alone. In either case, it doesn’t disappoint.
filmcritic.com Chris Cabin	7	...unassuming...
New York Post V. A. Musetto	8	...a modest and charming comedy from Israel.
TV Guide Ken Fox	8	...droll, endearing...
Reel Pam Grady	8	...a real treat, often funny and genuinely moving.
Slant Magazine Nick Schager	8	...just about remarkable: a tender, poignant allegory for Arab-Israeli tensions that never makes a single overt gesture toward articulating its larger concerns.
Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum	9	...swings with the rhythms of hope.
New York Times Manohla Dargis	8	...flirts recklessly with obviousness, cuteness too.
Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan	8	...a film whose poignant, emotional effects and subtle acting sneak up on you.
People Leah Rozen	8	...a delightful gem on an Israeli comedy...
LA Weekly Scott Foundas	7	I'd be lying if I said that The Band's Visit isn't touching and uplifting and all those other audience-friendly emotions against which film critics are believed to religiously steel themselves.
Village Voice Scott Foundas	7	I'd be lying if I said that The Band's Visit isn't touching and uplifting and all those other audience-friendly emotions against which film critics are believed to religiously steel themselves.
Onion AV Club Noel Murray	8	...steps gingerly on the line between "sweetly humane" and "cloyingly quirky," but Kolirin pulls back the reins just enough, maintaining control by expressing as much with his framing as with his script.
Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer	7	...too self-consciously sentimental.

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This movie is available on DVD/Video

ALL AVERAGE CRITIC RATING	7.8
AVERAGE USER RATING (4 ratings)	7.8

USER REVIEWS:

Oracle 9

A terrific evocation of the subtle dilemmas of life as well as a truly well-wrought film. It's smart and poignant, a true gem of a film.

arutha 7

A small, unassuming film about life in a small town, a band from another country that finds itself stuck in that place, and the human interactions that take place between the locals and the band members. It's a bitter-sweet, slow-paced and ultimately uplifting film.